Light in Your Eyes
by horseaholic
Summary: Pre Rent. When a new girl, Melanie Schwartz, transfers from Westport to Scarsdale with her own share of problems, Roger Davis falls hopelessly in love with her, and their story begins. RogerOC, MarkMo.
1. The New Scarsdale Girl

Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own RENT, I think everybody understands that. I also don't own the title to this story; I'm borrowing it from Blessid Union of Souls. It is a song by them that I've recently come to love, only because Denise put it on the mix CD she made for me, without telling me. But I'm glad, because the song rocks. Enjoy this new story from me!

**Chapter 1**

* * *

She sang alto in his choir. She had long brown hair and very beautiful green eyes. She was petite and slender and beautiful.

Her name was Melanie Schwartz. She had just transferred from Westport to Scarsdale, New York a month ago, to finish out her sophomore year. Nobody knew exactly why she had moved. Rumors pieced together many different stories about her that, before her arrival, had already spread like wildfire.

She seemed like the kind of person that would be one hundred percent off-limits, but there was no reasoning behind that rumor, either.

And Roger Davis had a huge crush on her.

"So why don't you just talk to her?" Mark Cohen, Roger's best friend and a freshman, asked him.

"_Because_," Roger emphasized painfully, "it's harder than you think. She's always surrounded by a completely random gaggle of wannabe _girls_."

"Maybe," Mark said, "but you could always catch her at lunch or in the library or at a sporting event or something?"

"Yeah, like you?" Roger retorted.

Mark didn't have a retort for that comment. He had met Maureen at a party last year when she was rather drunk. He'd then taken her to his house, afraid she'd hurt herself in her drunken state. Mrs. Cohen had yelled at him for going to the party, especially for bringing Maureen home the way she was; and once she had sobered up, they had talked for a few hours, and he had asked her out in the end. They'd been together ever since. He featured her in many of his short amateur films that he made for his film critique class. Mrs. Cohen didn't know about that; but as far as Mark cared, she didn't need to.

"Hey," he said, blushing, "that hurts."

Roger sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it. I'm just really nervous about this whole Melanie thing. Maybe I shouldn't be, but how the hell do I know? If only I…"

Suddenly, his voice trailed off, as an idea emerged. "Hey, wait— what about the beach party next month?" He looked at Mark. "Do you think I should invite her?"

"Sure, why not?" Mark said, smiling. He patted Roger on the back. "See? If it's meant to be, it'll work out. I think you're reading too much into this. You two could start by simply hanging out."

"I hope so," Roger said nervously.

* * *

There was only a few weeks until school let out. Then there was the beach party. Roger knew he had to act fast to get Melanie to go with him, or she might go with someone else.

So when choir dismissed the next day, Roger waited until everyone had left to ask her.

Before he could lose his nerve, he walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around to see who it was, butterflies immediately rose in his stomach, making him feel slightly sick.

"Hi," she said, "um… do I know you?"

"I, um, I'm Roger Davis," Roger stammered, blushing. He could barely remember his own name, let alone string sentences together in front of her. "We— we're in choir together and… American Literature, too, I think."

"Oh yeah," Melanie said. "You're Mr. Sheppard's infamous tenor. You're singing 'Ride the Chariot' with that big group for Regionals, right?"

Roger blushed. "Yeah, me and my friends are," he said. He was pleased that she'd complimented him and he hadn't even been talking to her for two minutes.

"Are you enjoying it?" she asked, as they walked out of the room to the hallway.

"Oh yeah, it's great fun," Roger said. "The way we see it, it's ninety percent singing, ten percent acting. To act while singing, um, kind of impresses the judge, see. Plus, we goof off a lot, too."

Melanie nodded. "I've thought about doing Regionals, but I think I'd be way too scared in front of the judge."

"That passes with experience," Roger said. "You have your whole junior and senior years left to do competitions and honor choirs and stuff to become comfortable with it. I'm sure you'd be great." The bell went off, signaling they had five minutes left to get to class. "Oh, shit. We'd, uh, better get going. Do you want me to walk you to your next class?"

"Sure," Melanie said, smiling. "It's AP U.S. History."

"Yuck," Roger said immediately, "sounds incredibly boring. Who wants to learn about World War II and stuff all over again?"

Melanie laughed. "It's not quite that simple," she said. "And I actually rather enjoy it, especially world history. I want to travel the world someday."

They came to her classroom and Roger looked at her. "So, uh, I guess I'll see you around?" he asked.

"Yes, because next period's lunch, remember?" Melanie teased him.

"Oh… right," Roger said awkwardly. "I'm in Consumer Math, but I'll meet you outside of the lunch room when the bell rings, OK?"

"OK," Melanie said.

"Oh. And Mel, I've been… dying to do this since you first arrived… Can I… can I kiss you?" Roger asked.

Melanie seemed caught off-guard for a second, but then she smiled. "Sure, Roger," she said, and after a quick check that there were no teachers around, he leaned in. When their lips met, his body felt like it was on fire. When they parted, he had shivers that wouldn't stop. "Well, I'll see you around, Roger."

"Bye, Melanie," Roger said, and she walked into her classroom. Roger turned around and ran to his math class, barely dodging people in the hallway. He ended up making it before the bell rang and as he sat in his desk, he thought about Melanie. Only after he had settled into his desk and gotten out his book and notebook did he realize he'd forgotten to ask her about the beach party. He was still nervous that she might already have a date, but he wouldn't know the answer to that unless he tried.

* * *

A couple hours later, Roger met up with Melanie to go to lunch. They walked to the cafeteria together and she followed him with her tray to sit at one of the tables, where Mark, Benny, and Maureen were sitting.

"Hey, guys," Roger said, walking over to them and sitting down.

"Hey, Rog," they replied.

"Who's this, Rog?" Benny asked, looking at him as he sat down.

"This is Melanie Schwartz. She's new here and no one messes with her, got it?" Roger replied, looking at the three of them.

"OK, got it, no one messes with Melanie," Benny said, smiling up at Melanie as she sat down next to Roger. "So where did you move from, Melanie?"

"I moved from Westport," Melanie said.

They all looked at each other, surprised. The only person they knew who lived in Westport was their friend, Alison Grey, who was the richest girl they knew. Although rich, Alison was nice, which is why it was a surprise to them that she had recently started dating Benny, who was sometimes pretty insensitive and tactless. Melanie could only be rich, if she moved from there.

"Why'd you move, Mel?" Maureen asked, immediately friendly.

Suddenly, Melanie's cheerful expression fell. Maureen knew instantly she'd said the wrong thing. But Melanie spoke nevertheless. "My dad left us a few months ago," she said. "He took all our money and everything. The only thing we had left to live on was a good name. Eventually, that wasn't enough, so my mom searched for a job and a good enough one was here. We had to start over."

"I'm sorry, Mel," Maureen said, putting her arm around Melanie. "We'll help you settle into Scarsdale, OK? It isn't as bad as it seems. We go to the lake every weekend when it gets warm, especially in the summer; and after school's out, there's always the beach party."

Roger instantly perked up. "Oh, right, the beach party!" he said. He turned to Melanie. "Mel, I was wondering… about the beach party… If you don't already have one, would you like to go with me as my date?"

Melanie smiled. "Sure," she said. "I'd like that." She looked at Roger. "Thanks."

"No problem, Mel," Roger said, smiling. "We want you to feel welcome here."

Melanie smiled appreciatively. "So is the only attire swim suits and stuff?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Maureen answered. She put her arm around Melanie. "We're glad you're going."

"I'm glad to go," Melanie said. "It's something to do and I'll be with you guys." She wasn't in a state where she could afford to pass up new friends.

* * *

The Bohemians made it through their final exams— Roger even did well in British Literature— and the day of the beach party drew near. On the last day of school, after class was dismissed, Roger found himself, as usual, hanging out with the Bohemians and Melanie. Except for when they had different classes, she never left his side.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon, OK?" Roger asked her, as she gave him her address.

"OK," she said, and she leaned up to kiss him.

"Hey, Mel," Roger asked, "can I ask you something?"

Melanie had the impression she knew what was coming, but she played along. "Sure, Roger, what's up?"

"Would you… besides being my date to the beach party… would you like to be my girlfriend?" he asked her.

Melanie smiled. "Sure," she said.

Roger beamed at her and kissed her again. "Great," he said. "Right, then, well, see you tomorrow at noon, OK?"

"OK, Roger," Melanie said, and Roger watched as she ran to the car where her mother was waiting.

* * *

The next day, Roger put some extra clothes into a bag and pulled his shorts over his swim trunks. His blood pressure was high due to his apprehension about the party, making him anxious and jumpy. He couldn't wait to see Melanie outside of school, especially in a swim suit. The beach party would be their first date as an official couple and Roger didn't want to mess anything up.

When he drove up to her house, his nerves heightened further. Melanie's house was small, but cute. They had beautiful flowerbeds in front of their porch and the house was a pretty log-brown color.

Roger walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. He heard someone yell something from inside, and then a blonde boy of about 6'2" answered.

"Hi," he said, "you must be Roger." Roger nodded. "Come on in. Melanie will be down in a second."

"Thanks," Roger said, nodding again, and he walked into the house. It was even more beautiful on the inside. There was a fireplace in the living room, a staircase with a cedar banister that led to upstairs, a dining room, a living room, and even what looked like a small game room.

"Wow, your house is great," Roger said, looking around.

"Thanks," said the boy. "I'm Brian, by the way. I'm Melanie's older brother."

"It's nice to meet you," Roger said, though he was now even more nervous than before. "How much older are you?"

"Three years," Brian said. "I just turned 19. I'm attending NYU. I'm going to be a junior."

"Really?" Roger asked. "One of my best friends, Tom Collins, goes there."

Brian nodded. "I've heard of him." Roger chuckled. "He's there for a teaching degree, right?" Roger nodded. "But he keeps getting in trouble for leading protests about… what was it?" Brian searched for the word.

"His theory of actual reality?" Roger suggested.

"That's the one," Brian said, smiling. "He'll be a great teacher, though, if he stays out of trouble. He's a great guy, very enthusiastic and friendly."

"That's Collins for you," Roger said, smiling. "What are you majoring in, Brian?"

"Theatre, with a concentration in stage management," Brian answered. "My girlfriend, Katie Claiborne, is majoring in the same thing, and modeling on the side."

"That's awesome," Roger said, smiling. Then he looked up and saw Melanie descending the stairs. "Wow," he whispered in awe.

Melanie was wearing a long, green, backless sundress over her swim suit, she had sandals on, and her long, brown hair flowed down her back with a touch of curl.

"Hey," Roger said, looking down at her when she walked up to him, "you look beautiful. But… are you really planning on swimming in that?"

"Thanks," Melanie said. She smiled. "No, I'm going to change when we get there. But I want to make a good impression." She held out her hand for him to take, and instead, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.

"I saw that in an old movie once and always wanted to do it," Roger said, grinning at her. Melanie giggled. "And I think you would make a good impression even in a swim suit, since it is a beach party, after all."

"Where's Mom?" Melanie asked, shooting Roger a look and looking at Brian.

"Mom's in the kitchen," Brian said. "She should be out in a few seconds."

No sooner had he finished his sentence that Mrs. Schwartz came from the kitchen. "Melanie, you look beautiful, honey," she said, smiling at her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," Melanie said, smiling back at her mother. "Oh, introductions; Mom, this is Roger. He's a new friend I met at school and my date to the beach party today."

"It's great to meet you, Roger," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling and shaking Roger's hand.

"Likewise, Mrs. Schwartz," Roger said, and he shook her hand. "What time would you like Mel home tonight?"

Mrs. Schwartz smiled and leaned toward Melanie. "Ooh, I like this one, Mel," she said, looking at her daughter. "He's punctual."

Melanie laughed. Roger blushed and smiled. "I try, Mrs. Schwartz," he said.

"Does eleven o'clock sound OK to you two?" Mrs. Schwartz asked.

"Sounds perfect, Mrs. Schwartz," Roger said, smiling.

"OK, good," Mrs. Schwartz said. "Just please call if you go anywhere but the beach party. And no drinking or smoking. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Roger said. "It's well-chaperoned, so I don't think anyone's going to try anything. If they do, I'll make sure Melanie doesn't get involved."

"Good, thank you," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling.

Roger shook Brian's hand. "Take care of my little sister, OK?" he asked, looking down at Roger.

"Brian…" Melanie groaned, but Roger talked over her.

"Don't worry, Brian, I won't let anything happen to her under my watch," Roger promised.

Brian nodded, satisfied. He winked at Melanie, who stuck her tongue out at him.

"Bye, Mom," Melanie said, smiling at them before she went outside with Roger.

"Your family seems really nice," Roger said, as they got in the car.

"Yeah, they are," Melanie said. "But things have been tense and tight ever since my dad left. It's been especially hard on Brian; now he feels like he has to be the man of the family. He's gotten really quiet and doesn't open up very easily ever since Dad left."

"I'm sorry, Mel," Roger said. "If there's anything I can do, let me know, OK?"

"OK," Melanie said, and he pulled her close to him. She leaned over the center counsel and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Roger. You're really sweet."

"I try, Mel," Roger said. "So are you ready to go have fun? I bet the others are waiting for us."

"I sure am," Melanie said, and they left.

* * *

Several hours later, they returned to Melanie's house, exhausted from the party. They had spent the day swimming, sailing, playing beach volleyball and soccer, and eating and drinking as much pizza, chips, hot dogs, and pop as they could.

"Uggghhh, can you get a pizza hangover?" Melanie groaned, looking up at Roger.

"Absolutely," Roger said, as he walked into her house with her. "It was the bacon."

"It was the sausage," Melanie said, laughing.

"No, Mel, it was the bacon," Roger said. "Those damn Canadians."

Melanie laughed and collapsed onto the couch with him. Mrs. Schwartz came walking down the stairs and looked at them. "11:02," she said, "right on time, you two. Did you have fun?"

"Way too much," Melanie said, laughing. "I'm enduring a pizza overdose."

Mrs. Schwartz laughed. "Roger," she said, "you can stay until Melanie feels better, but when she does, you go home, got it?"

"Yes, Mrs. Schwartz," Roger said, smiling at her. Mrs. Schwartz went upstairs and Roger turned and looked at Melanie. "Are you going to be OK?"

"I'll live, but I'm not climbing the stairs to sleep tonight," Melanie said, looking up at him.

"Do you have a linen closet or anything?" Roger asked her.

"Yeah, under the stairs," Melanie said. "Why, what are you doing?"

"Getting a blanket for my girl," Roger said, smiling at her. "You stay put."

"_That _shouldn't be a problem," Melanie groaned, smiling weakly. Roger kissed her on the forehead and went to the closet and got her a quilt. He wrapped it snuggly around her. "Thank you, Roger. You're so good to me."

Roger smiled as he looked down at her. "You sleep, OK?" he said. "I'm gonna go home. I'll see you in the morning, OK?"

"OK. When are you going to pick me up?" Melanie asked.

But before she heard his answer, she was so exhausted, she had already fallen asleep.

* * *

Hey, everybody. Wouldn't you know it, not long after I say my goodbyes to fan fiction for a while, my muse starts to bother me again with a character name— female, of course— and I just can't leave it alone at that. I thought up the name Melanie Schwartz (after Stephen Schwartz) a couple weeks ago, and I just knew I wanted to do something with the name. I figured it would be a pre-Rent RogerOC story, and as usual, my guess was right. So far, even though I've only just started writing this story, I do like it a lot. I hope you've enjoyed reading it so far as well. I'll be updating the next chapter shortly. So far, I've got about eight chapters written up. I can't wait to see what you guys think of them.

Please don't forget to review. I love feedback.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	2. Weekend at the Lake

I have to give thanks to my best friend, Madeline, for giving me the lake scenario. Oh, the things you did with your friends down in Florida, Maddy! Glad I didn't know or I might have worried about you more than I already do, LOL. :) That's all I'm going to say. And just for clarification, Mark is a freshman, Roger, Melanie, Maureen, and Benny are sophomores, and Collins is a sophomore in college.

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Melanie," Brian called into the kitchen, where Melanie was eating breakfast late that morning, after she'd just woken up, "Roger's here."

"What?" Melanie nearly yelled. "He is?" Brian nodded and Melanie squealed anxiously. "Don't let him in! I'm not even cute yet!"

With an anxious groan, she threw her toast onto her plate and bolted upstairs, past her mother, who was on her way to work. "Melanie, what are you doing? Slow down," Mrs. Schwartz said, before she saw Brian letting Roger in. "Oh, I see how it is." She smiled.

Brian and Roger laughed. "Hi, Mrs. Schwartz," Roger said, looking at Melanie's mother. "I guess Melanie forgot when I said I was going to pick her up today?"

Mrs. Schwartz turned around and looked up the stairs. "I guess she did," she said. "You don't mind waiting, do you?"

"Not at all," Roger said, smiling at her. "But I did tell her eleven."

"I heard you two come in last night," Brian said. "You must have had fun. She didn't even come up to her room."

"She was enduring a pizza overdose," Roger said.

Brian laughed. "Oh, I see," he said. He turned around and yelled up the stairs, "Melanie, come on!"

"I'm coming!" Melanie yelled, and a few moments later, she rushed down the stairs. "So where are we going today?"

"Well, I already talked to your mom about us going to the lake this weekend with everybody," Roger said. "She said she was fine with it."

"But you know the rules, Roger," Mrs. Schwartz said.

"Yes, ma'am," Roger said, smiling at her. Mrs. Schwartz nodded, satisfied. Roger looked at Melanie. "So get a sleeping bag, pillow, and whatever else together. I'll wait."

Melanie rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry about forgetting what time you said."

"It's OK," Roger said. "Go on and get ready. I'll wait."

Melanie smiled appreciatively and rushed around for about ten minutes, gathering her things together for the weekend. "Bye, Mom," she said, and she ran out the door with her duffle bag, sleeping bag, and pillow.

"I'll have her home by seven P.M. on Sunday night, Mrs. Schwartz," Roger said, smiling at her.

"OK, Roger," Mrs. Schwartz said. "Have fun, you two."

"We will," Roger said, smiling at her and Brian, and then he walked out the door. "In the trunk, Mel!" he yelled after her, because she was trying to stuff everything into the backseat.

"Oh… right," she said, blushing, and she transferred everything to the trunk. Then she got into the car next to Roger. She leaned over as he started to drive off. "I'm excited."

"So am I," Roger said, smiling down at her. "You'll get to meet Alison and Collins."

Melanie smiled. "I'm excited for that," she said.

"Good, I'm glad," Roger said. "I told your mom the girls would be in one tent and the guys in the other. I don't think she's too worried. Besides, we're almost 18."

"Why should she be worried?" Melanie asked. "You're an amazing guy. You'd never do anything to hurt me."

Roger smiled. "I agree, Mel," he said. "Oh, hey, before I forget, is it OK if you meet my parents before we go?"

"Oh... sure, Roger," Melanie said nervously.

Roger squeezed her hand. "It'll be OK. They're both really nice. My mom can be a bit weird sometimes, but you get used to it," he said.

Melanie smiled. "OK, I can't wait," she said.

* * *

"Anybody home?" Roger called, as he knocked and entered the house with Melanie.

"Hi, Roger," Mrs. Davis said, coming out to the entryway with Mr. Davis.

"Hi, Mom, Dad," Roger said, hugging her. "I want you to meet someone." Roger looked at Melanie, and then looked at his parents. "Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Melanie."

"Hi," Melanie said, shaking their hands.

"I'm Andrew and this is my wife, Kristin," Mr. Davis said. He indicated to his wife. "She's been dying to meet you since the beginning of the year, Melanie."

Melanie smiled. Already, she liked Roger's parents. Roger had told her she would. They were very welcoming and kind. "I'm very glad to meet you both," she said. "I suppose we would have done introductions sooner, but we've both been really busy."

"Did you move here recently, Melanie?" Mrs. Davis asked.

"Yes, not long before this quarter began," Melanie said. "My mother, brother, and I moved from Westport."

"Really?" Mr. Davis asked. "That's nice."

Melanie glanced at Roger. "I'm a sophomore as well," she said.

"You seem like a great girl," Mr. Davis said, smiling at her.

Melanie smiled. "I try, Mr. Davis," she said.

"Well, Mom, Dad, we have to get going. The others are waiting for us at the lake," Roger said.

"OK. Have fun, you two," Mrs. Davis said, smiling at them. Roger and Melanie nodded and then they left.

* * *

When they arrived at the lake, Roger quickly introduced her to Collins and Alison. "Mel, this is Tom Collins, though he prefers to be called by his last name only," Roger said.

"You would, too, if your mother named you after a drink," Collins said, glaring at him.

Roger laughed. "Gee, I wonder why," he teased. Collins hit him on the arm, though he wasn't really offended. "He's currently attending NYU."

"Really?" Melanie asked, shaking Collins' hand. "My older brother goes there."

"What's his name?" Collins asked.

"Brian Schwartz," Melanie said.

"Oh, yeah, I know him," Collins said. "We hang out."

Melanie smiled. "That's cool," she said.

"Do you want a beer, Melanie?" Benny asked.

"No, thank you, Benny," Melanie said, as Roger glared at him. "My mom said no drinking or smoking."

"And no sex or drugs," Benny said. "Yeah, I get the same warning from my parents."

"Hey, back off, Benny," Roger said warningly. "We told you not even to bring that stuff this time. You knew Melanie would be coming along."

"Sorry, man," Benny said, raising his hands defensively. "I'm done. I'm cool."

Roger rolled his eyes and looked at the others. "We, uh, should probably set up," he said.

They all nodded and they began to assemble the tents.

When it got dark that night, the group built a fire and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores until the fire went out. Then they crawled into their tents and fell asleep.

* * *

Melanie didn't know what time it was when a voice whispering awoke her.

"Melanie… hey, Mel, wake up. You awake, Mel?"

Melanie sat up, careful not to disturb Maureen and Alison next to her. "I am now. Roger?" she asked. "What is it?"

"Come with me," Roger said.

"Where?" Melanie asked.

"Wanna go swimming?" Roger asked, seeming to change the subject.

"What? Are you kidding?"

"Would I be here if I was?"

Melanie rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Who cares? Come on, you _really _wanna go swimming," Roger insisted, smiling at her.

"Roger…" Melanie groaned.

"Come on, Mel, please?" Roger begged. "While the day is still ours to begin… and before Maureen and Alison wake up and kill me?"

"Well… all right," Melanie said, and she slowly and quietly crawled out of the tent after grabbing her swim suit. "Do you know the way in the dark?"

"Sure I do," Roger said, taking her hand. "Do you trust me?"

Melanie nodded. "Yes," she said, and she followed him. They found a path that led down to the lake and they followed it, lit by the moonlight.

"Wow," Melanie said, when they got to the dock, "this is beautiful."

"Isn't it, though?" Roger agreed.

The moon floated in the sky, shimmering down on the lake and seeming to watch them.

Suddenly, in a flash, Roger stripped down to his trunks and dove off the dock. Melanie walked over behind a tree and quickly changed into her suit, just as he came above water. Then she sat down on the dock and put her feet in the cool water.

Roger looked at her mischievously. "Aren't you coming in?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Eventually," Melanie said, "but I would like to get used to the water first."

"Oh, come on, you're no fun," Roger said, and he splashed her playfully.

"Roger, stop it!" Melanie exclaimed, scowling at him. "I'll come in eventually."

"Well, all right," Roger said, and he climbed out, purposely dripping water on her.

"Hey!" she squealed.

Roger laughed and ran behind her. Then he ran up past her and jumped off, landing with a huge splash in the water.

When he didn't resurface after a few seconds, Melanie began to get nervous, worried he'd hurt himself in the dark somehow. "Roger?" she asked. When she didn't see him or get a response, she yelled louder, "Roger!"

She saw the bubbles from his breath underwater a second too late. Roger rose out of the water, seized her, and pulled her into the lake with him.

"Argh!" Melanie screeched, before he pulled her under with him. She was scared for a second, but then she felt his strong arms pulling her to the surface.

It had only been a few inches above her head, after all.

"Roger!" she yelled nervously.

"It's OK, Mel, relax," Roger said through the darkness. He was holding her up, treading water at the same time, but she was still nervous. "See, the water's holding us up."

"Y-yeah," Melanie said nervously, "I feel like I'm floating. I'm weightless."

"You're floating with me, Melanie," Roger said quietly, looking at her.

He shifted slightly and Melanie clutched him nervously. "Roger, don't let go!" she squealed.

"It's OK, Mel, I won't let go," Roger said. He looked up at her. "I'll never let you go, Melanie Schwartz."

Melanie smiled and leaned back and held out her arms, letting the water flow over them as Roger slowly turned her in a circle. She felt herself starting to relax. When she straightened up again, Roger leaned up and kissed her. Then they got out of the water and lay down on the dock together.

Roger propped himself up onto one elbow and looked down at Melanie. She looked up at him and he felt his heart start to race. "Melanie?" he said.

"Yes, Roger?" Melanie asked.

"I love you."

Melanie leaned closer to his warm body and smiled. "Mm, I love you, too, Roger," she said, and he lay down with her and kissed her on the dock.

* * *

On Sunday, the group was sitting on the dock together. After a while of talking, Collins looked at them.

"We should so go swimming," he said.

"Collins, we didn't bring out suits or anything," Alison pointed out.

"So?" Maureen perked up. "We don't need them."

They all looked at her, surprised. "What?" Alison asked.

"We don't… need them," Melanie agreed, grinning devilishly.

"So what are you planning on doing, Mel, skinny-dip?" Mark asked.

"Not exactly," Melanie said, smiling at them. She looked at Maureen and they both stripped down to their bra and underwear.

Roger and Mark's mouths fell open in awe. "What the hell?" they said, looking at each other.

Melanie and Maureen looked at each other again and then looked at them. Then, before any of the boys or Alison could react, they took each other's hands and ran off the dock and jumped into the lake together.

Roger, Mark, Benny, Collins, and Alison looked at each other, baffled, and then a second later, after they got over their shock, they joined Melanie and Maureen in the water. The boys spent the rest of the time trying to get the girls' towels off when they walked around with them wrapped around their bodies.

But afternoon came and they had to pack up and go home.

"Hey, you two, did you have fun?" Brian asked, when they arrived back home.

"Yeah, it was great," Melanie said. "We made s'mores and swam a lot." She looked at Brian. "I'm tired, though. I think I'm going to go lie down for a while, OK?"

"OK. Are you OK?" Brian asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Melanie said. "I'm just tired."

"OK," Brian said.

"Is Mom home?" Melanie asked.

"No, she's working," Brian said, glancing at Roger. Roger looked confused and Brian quickly explained. "She works a night job and sometimes does a day shift, too."

"Wow," Roger said. "That's a lot of work. Good for her." Brian smiled.

"OK," Melanie said, and she started to climb the stairs, "sorry I'm not being too much fun, Roger. I had a great time."

"I'm glad you had fun," Roger said. "We'll do it again some other time, OK? You just go rest."

"OK. Thanks," Melanie said, smiling at him, and she went upstairs.

* * *

At first, I wasn't sure when I wanted Melanie to meet Roger's parents. But they're teenagers, so it probably would happen rather quickly. Roger's dad's name is after Andrew Lloyd Weber, actually, and his mother is after Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, one of my favorite women in the world.

As always, don't forget to review. I love feedback so don't forget to give me some. :)

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	3. A Talk, Jaws, and Moving Too Fast

If any of you have ever seen _Flicka_, think of Brian as Howard. I've been picturing him ever since I started writing it; he's the perfect big brother figure and I am seizing a lot of inspiration (and possibly scenarios) from his character and the movie. If you Google Ryan Kwanten, you'll see why I'm enjoying using him as Brian's model very much. He's so sexy and amazingly hot. Oh, and I also need to thank my beta, Rosablasifann08, for the Brian/Collins part of this chapter. It's awesome, girl! Write more RENT soon, OK:) Enjoy this chapter. :)

**Chapter 3**

* * *

_A few weeks later…_

"Hey, where's Brian, Mom?" Melanie asked, when Mrs. Schwartz poked her head into Melanie's room. She was hanging out with Roger, Mark, Maureen, Benny, and Alison.

It was almost August and the upcoming junior year weighed heavily upon Roger, Maureen, Benny, Alison, and Melanie's minds. Mark was, of course, concentrating on his fast approaching sophomore year, but he knew his stress level was a lot less than the others'. Collins was going to start his junior year at NYU, in pursuit of a teaching degree. In addition to his teaching degree, he was also double-majoring in philosophy and computers. They all knew he was working very hard on keeping up his grades and trying to have a social life at the same time. He was excited to be turning 21 soon after New Year's.

"He's hanging out with Collins today," Mrs. Schwartz said. "They're spending the day in the city today before they go back to NYU."

"He is, even though they both attend there?" Melanie asked.

"Yes. They still don't get to see much of each other," Mrs. Schwartz said. "You can understand that, can't you?"

"Oh, definitely," Melanie said. "Except for lunch hour and after school, we never get to see Mark, especially when he has a film project he has to finish."

Mrs. Schwartz nodded and left the room. Melanie turned and looked at the others. She'd seen the nervous smile on her mother's face and she knew Mrs. Schwartz was only like that— distant and anxious— when there was something on her mind.

"Am I missing something?" she asked the others.

"Oh, I dunno," Maureen said knowingly, smiling. "Have you seen the way Brian and Collins have been looking at each other lately?"

Melanie shook her head and shrugged. "I guess not," she said, "but I know my brother, and if he wants something, he'll go for it, no matter what it is."

"Good for him," Mark said, smiling at her.

"Do you think that I should… ask him about it?" Melanie asked, looking at the others.

To her surprise, they shook their heads. "It might be best if you just let this play out," Mark said, looking at her. "We've known Collins was gay since his freshman year of high school. He had a lot of trouble with it and with others in high school. Give it some time and then ask him or Brian. I'm sure Collins won't mind that you ask, but I can't say for your brother."

Melanie nodded. "I know," she said, smiling at him. "I'm not worried."

* * *

The sun was shining and it was warm out as Brian and Collins walked, hand in hand, through a street fair, in the heart of New York City, Times Square. The street fair was humming with activity. There were couples everywhere, young children dancing to the music that was coming from the various bands on the streets. The boys were admiring the amount of people who seemed to pour out of the city on a gorgeous day like today.

Brian and Collins were taking turns guessing who tourists were. He pointed to a nearby family. "Look, that family is obviously tourists. They are in awe of the tall buildings, and are taking pictures of everything they see. Plus, the whole family is together laughing and having fun. How often do you see that in New York City?"

"Mark has a camera constantly glued to his face, but that doesn't make him a tourist," Collins countered.

"True, but usually, he isn't gawking at a building; it is usually some homeless man or pigeon whenever he comes up here. Back at home, it is anything that isn't boring Scarsdale, which usually amounts to shots of Maureen protesting the lunch with the lunch ladies," Brian said.

Collins laughed, remembering the numerous protests Maureen would try and lead with the lunch ladies over the 'senseless murder of precious cows for a dish that doesn't even deserve the title of lunch!', as Maureen had passionately put it.

They strolled down the street fair, stopping at the different booths admiring the artwork and the sheer volumes of tourist aimed products.

"Hey, baby, are you hungry? We could get one of those yummy pita bread fluffle thingies?" Brian asked, pausing in front of a food both.

Collins chuckled at the description his boyfriend gave. "You mean a falafel?" he asked, cocking a curious eyebrow at Brian.

"I'm glad you know what I mean!" Brian laughed. Brian blushed and smiled. Collins' heart skipped a beat, as it always did when he was the reason Brian smiled. He loved the sight and would do anything to make sure Brian was always smiling.

Collins gently squeezed Brian's hand and led him to the falafel stand. "We would like two falafels and two water bottles, please?" The man behind the counter handed him his order, which Brian held while Collins paid. They continued walking and ate their falafels in true street fair style.

Once they got to the end of the street fair, they walked to Central Park. They walked to a secluded area of the park and found a shady tree. Collins sat against the tree, and Brian sat between his legs and leaned against him. Collins started to play with Brian's long, curly blonde hair.

They sat in a comfortable silence, watching the city life go by for a while, until Collins decided to break the silence. "Hey, sweetie, are you gonna tell your mom about us any time soon?" he asked.

Brian looked up at him, but before he got a chance to speak, Collins jumped in. "I know you are having a hard time with telling your mom that you're gay— much less that you have a boyfriend who is almost three years older than you— but I don't wanna be your secret lover. I want to be able to take you to a restaurant back home and not worry about running into anyone who might tell our secret."

Brian sighed, knowing Collins was right, but he wasn't sure how his mom would react. He hoped she would understand and welcome Collins into the family, but the small voice in the back of his mind was asking what if his mom didn't approve and he was forced to choose. He knew he would never be able to pick, but he couldn't live in two worlds at once, especially when so much was pushing those worlds closer together.

"I swear I will tell my mom about us as soon as I get the courage. I want everyone to know about us; I really and truly do. I am just having a hard time figuring out how to tell everyone. I mean I have had boyfriends before, but never one as serious as you," Brian said, looking at Collins.

Collins hugged Brian, holding him while they had their conversation. "I know how hard it is. I had known I was gay for a while, but I just got the courage to tell Mark and Roger before my parents died. Once they died, I just couldn't keep it in any longer. The gang was really supportive, and hasn't treated me any differently. They won't look at you any differently, either. I am sure Mel will be the same way. Hell, she will start showing you cute guys on the street."

Brian laughed. "I will tell my mom really soon, I promise," he said.

"Good," Collins said, hugging him and kissing him on the top of his head. Then he slid out from behind Brian. He extended a hand to Brian to help him up. "Come on, I wanna show you something fun. Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes. I want to lead you there."

"OK…" Brian agreed nervously. Collins looped one arm around his waist, pulling him in close. He whispered directions into his ear, until they arrived at a small pond with a waterfall.

Collins positioned him so when he opened his eyes he would see the breathtaking waterfall. "Now open your eyes," he whispered, his mouth close to Brian's ear.

Brian quietly gasped, seeing the waterfall. He turned around to face Collins. "I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Collins whispered back. He pulled Brian in for a gentle kiss, as the sun was setting behind them.

* * *

"Hey, Mom, is it OK with you if I go with the others to Coney Island this weekend?" Melanie asked, a few weeks later. "We would only be gone a day. Brian would go with us; Collins, too."

"Sure, sweetie," Mrs. Schwartz said. "Just call me when you get there, OK? And you know the rules."

"I do, Mom," Melanie said, looking at her mother.

* * *

_A few days later…_

"Man, I have never had so much fun," Roger said, holding Melanie close to him and smiling, as they staggered to Benny's Range Rover. He was not only holding Melanie, but also a huge teddy bear, a big, fluffy, green top hat, and a stuffed puppy— prizes he had won Melanie on the midway games.

"Neither have I," Melanie said, smiling up at him.

"I'm glad you had fun," Roger said, leaning down and kissing her.

"Gross, you two, can't you at least wait until we get home?" Benny teased them.

"Shut up, Benny," Roger said, aiming a swipe at Benny's head and missing.

"Roger, you're gonna drop Mr. Puppy!" Melanie said, laughing.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Puppy," Roger teased her, smirking.

* * *

A few hours later, they arrived home. "Mom?" Melanie called. She walked into the kitchen and noticed a note on the fridge, which said that Mrs. Schwartz was out grocery shopping.

"We could watch a movie or something until she gets home?" Roger suggested.

"OK," the others agreed.

"What movie?" Mark asked.

"How about _The Fox and the Hound_?" Maureen suggested.

"Oh no, Maureen, that one always makes you cry," Mark complained, looking at her with a pained expression on his face.

"So what?" Maureen protested. "Real men cry during chick flicks."

After that comment, Mark didn't protest to watching it.

"Do you guys want popcorn or anything to drink?" Melanie asked, before they sat down to watch it.

"Sure," they said.

"And some stoli!" Collins yelled after her, as she went into the kitchen to play hostess. Melanie rolled her eyes. Roger got up and went with her.

"The popcorn's in the cupboard to the left of the stove," Melanie said to him. Roger got a few packs out and put one in the microwave to start cooking.

"I can make lemonade or something?" Melanie suggested.

"Sounds great, baby," Roger said, smiling at her. "Hey, just in case I haven't said it today, I love you."

Melanie smiled back at him, her body getting a warm, fuzzy feeling from his smile. "I love you, too, Roger."

They all sat down on the floor and on the couch, popcorn and lemonade in hand, and watched the movie. Not even halfway through the movie, Melanie, Maureen, and Alison were all bawling. They cried even harder when it came to the scene where Widow Tweed left Tod in the forest because he'd gotten too big to live with her anymore. Roger, Mark, and Benny held them close and attempted to comfort them. Only Roger really succeeded. Even Collins shed a few tears.

Mrs. Schwartz arrived back home about an hour and a half into the movie, but she let them finish it before everyone had to leave. Melanie knew she'd see them again soon, but she was still glad to have spent the time with them that she did.

"I love you, Mel," Roger said, looking down at her and holding her close before he was to leave.

"I love you, too, Roger," Melanie said, and she watched him and the others leave before going back inside.

* * *

Melanie looked up as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," she said.

Brian poked his head in the door. "Hey, you," he said, "are you busy or can I talk to you for a second?"

"I'm not busy. Of course you can talk to me," Melanie said, and she moved over to give him room to sit down on her bed with him. "What's up?"

"You and I have said we would always be straightforward with each other about our problems and stuff, right? That, if something happened to you or me, the other person would be the first to know?" Brian asked, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Yes," Melanie said, looking at him nervously. "This isn't you being straightforward, though, Bri. Tell me what's up."

Brian looked at her. "OK, here goes." He took a deep breath and spoke. "I'm gay, Mel."

Melanie looked up at him, unsure about what to say. "Oh," she said, "OK. W-what do you want me to say?"

"Don't say anything… not now, OK?" Brian asked her. "I mean, you can if you want, but… I thought you'd maybe want to think it over."

"Well… could I at least ask who you're with, if anybody, if that's OK?" Melanie asked. "I mean, it's only in your best interest."

"It's fine. I've been with Collins since the beginning of the school year," Brian answered.

"Oh, OK… how are you going to tell Katie?" Melanie asked. "Not only that you cheated on her, but that you cheated on her with another man? Brian, how could you cheat in the first place?"

"I didn't cheat," Brian said. "She knew about it. We both agreed that, while we were still interested in each other, we were interested in others as well. We were open about it because we didn't want to end it with each other yet. My, uh, other interest just happened to be Collins. I know it may not make a lot of sense to you, but it does to him, me, and Katie."

"Oh," Melanie said, raising her eyebrows. "Well, OK, if it works out that way."

"It's fine, really," Brian said. "She said she would be long gone if we weren't both OK with it."

"Won't you have to choose one or the other in the end, though?" Melanie asked.

She could tell she'd unintentionally struck a nerve. "Yes," Brian said, sighing, "and I think that'll be Collins. I mean, Katie's beautiful and I love her, but… I think I love Collins more. There's something about him that's different… and I think I'll choose him."

"Do you?" Melanie asked. "How are you going to tell Katie that?"

"I'll tell her somehow, but I don't know how," Brian said.

"You can only come right out and say it," Melanie said, "as far as I know."

Brian nodded. "I'll invite her to dinner or something. I don't know…" he said, his voice trailing off in the end. "I want to make it easier for her, but it's proving to be difficult."

"Well, I'm glad that you're happy with Collins, Bri," Melanie said, "but you need to tell Katie your decision soon. She has a right to know."

Brian nodded. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me you're sorry; tell Katie," Melanie said. "You can't keep leading her on. It's no fair to her."

"I will, somehow," Brian said. "I'm also worried about Mom's reaction when I tell her."

"You are going to, aren't you?" Melanie asked.

"Yes," Brian said. "I just don't know how."

"Brian, you're her son," Melanie said. "She might freak out for a while, but she'll still love you. And I know Collins will take good care of you; just be careful, OK? Don't you dare get infected with that hepatitis or HIV shit or anything, you got it?"

"Mel, keep your voice down!" Brian hissed.

"Why, Mom can't hear us up here, unless she's by the stairs?" Melanie said.

"Ah, no, don't you know?" Brian said, lowering his voice. "She's got hidden cameras and microphones all over the place."

Melanie rolled her eyes, but she was amused nevertheless.

"Look, Mel, don't worry about me, OK?" he asked. "I'll be fine."

Melanie nodded and lay back on her pillows. "I know you'll be fine wherever you go," she said, looking at him. "Me, on the other hand… I just don't want you to leave."

"Mel, I'm not even changing time zones, let alone solar systems," Brian said. "I'll still be in the same city to finish up college at NYU, you know that."

Melanie nodded. "Good," she said. "So when are you going to tell Mom?"

"I don't know," Brian said. "Just don't do it for me, OK? It has to come from me."

"Of course," Melanie said. "As long as you're happy, then I'm OK with it. Just be careful, OK?"

"I will," Brian said, smiling and laying on his back next to her.

* * *

Melanie jumped as the phone rang that night. Brian was hanging out with Collins again, but he had promised to tell Katie tonight about his decision to be with Collins, and her mom was working her night job as usual. Melanie had the entire house to herself and she was completely bored.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey, baby," Roger said.

"Hi, Roger," Melanie said, turning and leaning against the kitchen counter, "what's up?"

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I haven't been really hungry. Why, what's up?"

"Wanna come over to my house and have pizza and hang out? My mom's in L.A. for the week and it's just me."

"Sure, I'd love that," Melanie said happily.

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, I can drive, that's OK. You drive me around too much."

"But I like treating my girl."

Melanie laughed. "I'll meet you in about half an hour at your house, OK?"

"Ok, great, that'll give the pizza time to get here. Is Dominos OK?"

"Dominos is perfect."

"OK. Hey, Mel?"

"Yes, Roger?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Roger. See you soon."

"Bye, Melanie."

Roger hung up and went to go set up everything. He wanted everything to be perfect for his and Melanie's big night.

* * *

Finally, the pizza arrived. Roger paid the worker and set the pizza in the center of the table for two he had set up for him and Melanie. He checked to make sure everything else was perfect, and then he heard the doorbell ring. Melanie had arrived.

"Hey, baby," he said, as he greeted her at the door. "Wow, you look amazing, as usual."

"Thanks, Roger," she said, smiling at him. "Something smells great."

Roger laughed. "That would be the pizza," he said. "Close your eyes, OK?"

"Close my eyes?"

"Yes."

Melanie looked at him, but after a moment of hesitation, she did. Roger led her into the dining room and stopped her next to the table. He heard her take in a breath of surprise as she set her hand unknowingly onto the table, but she was not sure what it was.

"OK, open them," he said.

Melanie did and she gasped. Roger had lit two candles and set them in the middle of the table in perfect symmetry. The pizza sat next to it.

"Roger, you did all of this for pizza?" she asked.

"Anything for my girl," Roger said, smiling at her. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," Melanie said. She looked at him. "I love it."

"I'm glad," Roger said. "Are you hungry now?"

"I sure am," Melanie said, smiling and going over and kissing him.

He pulled out the chair so she could sit down, and they ate their pizza while talking. Roger found it interesting that, no matter how long he talked to Melanie, he never ran out of things to say. When they were finished, he looked at her.

"Do you want to digest this pizza over a movie?" he asked.

"Sure," Melanie said, smiling at him. "You pick this time, since Maureen and I got to pick last time."

Roger smiled. "OK, how about _Jaws_?" he asked. Melanie gasped in surprise. "Are you OK with that?"

"I guess," Melanie said, shrugging. "I'm not really one for scary movies, but if you want it…" She didn't want to look wimpy to Roger.

"If you're not OK with it, I can pick something else," Roger said. "I'm just one for scary movies."

"No, it's fine," Melanie said. "I've just heard about it; I've never actually seen it."

Roger smiled. "OK, but if you get…" he said, his voice trailing off. He wasn't sure if he should finish what he'd been about to say.

"If I get scared, let you know, right?" Melanie guessed.

Roger let out his breath. "Yeah," he said.

They went into the living room and Roger put in the movie. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to Melanie.

"_GOD, HELP ME, PLEEEAAASE!" Chrissie screamed in horror._

Melanie squeezed her eyes shut, whimpered quietly, and buried her face in Roger's chest. "It's OK, Mel," he said, stroking her hair.

It was OK, Melanie reminded herself, because she was with Roger.

"_This was no boat accident," Harper said to the medical examiner and Brody._

Melanie squirmed. She normally wasn't squeamish, but even just the previews to this movie had made her nervous. But she didn't say anything to Roger, who had his arm around her protectively.

"You OK, Mel?" he asked. He could feel the tension coming from her.

"I'm fine," she said.

* * *

About an hour later, the movie ended. Melanie looked up at Roger. "I'm getting kind of tired," she said. "Is it OK if I sleep for a while?"

"Sure, baby," Roger said. "You can sleep in my mom's room for a while, if you want. When do you want me to wake you up?"

"I don't know, around nine, if I sleep that long?" Melanie asked him.

"OK," Roger said, and he kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, baby," Melanie said, and she went into Mrs. Schwartz's room.

She was tired and it didn't take her long to fall asleep. But it also didn't take her long to have nightmares about sharks attacking her in the water.

"Roger! Roger, help me!" Melanie screamed. "The shark's attacking me! Roger, help!"

Roger rushed into the room, after hearing Melanie's screams from downstairs. He held her by the waist to prevent her from falling off the bed.

"Melanie! Melanie, wake up! It's OK!" Roger's voice said to her.

Melanie's eyes flew open. Despite her thrashing around, Roger was holding her firmly and gently around her waist. "Melanie, it's OK!" he said.

"Oh, Roger, it was that movie," Melanie said. She could feel tears on her face. She'd obviously been crying in her sleep.

"Mel, why didn't you tell me you were scared?" Roger asked her, concerned. "Calm down, baby."

"I didn't want to look weird," Melanie said.

"Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz, you never look weird to me," Roger said, hugging her close and kissing her cheek. "It's OK. You should have told me."

"I know," Melanie said. "I'm sorry, Roger."

"It's OK, Melanie. And hey, in case I haven't told you today, I love you."

"I love you, too, Roger."

Roger tilted her head up and brought her lips to his. He ran his fingers through her hair and she caressed his strong chest. As his blood started to pump and his breathing increased, he felt himself starting to lose control.

Then he felt Melanie's lips part from his and her pushing him away.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Roger, wait," she said breathlessly, "we… we should stop."

"Why?" Roger asked, breathing hard. "You're amazing."

"Thank you," Melanie said, and when he moved toward her again, she had to push him away again. "But you know… we have the rest of our lives to do this."

Melanie looked up at him, hoping for understanding.

"Maybe so," Roger said, "but I love you, baby. I'd do anything for you."

"Me too, baby," Melanie said, looking up at him.

"So what are we waiting for?" Roger asked.

"Roger, sex isn't love," Melanie said.

"I know, baby," Roger said.

"So please respect my wish to wait. I'm not ready for this," Melanie said.

Roger was silent for a moment, and then he nodded. "OK, I'm sorry, baby. Please forgive me."

"It's OK, Roger; just not yet, OK?" Melanie asked.

"OK," Roger said. There was several long seconds of awkward silence, and then he looked at her again. "So… did you have fun tonight?"

"Yes, it was great," Melanie said. "But I should probably get home. Thank you for tonight, though."

"I'm glad you had fun," Roger said. "I'll see you home, OK?"

"Oh, no… that's OK, I'll be—"

"Baby, please let me drive you home. It's late and the least I could do after being so stupid," Roger said quickly.

Melanie sighed and put her head in her hands. "All right," she said, "you can. Then you should get back home. I don't want Mrs. Davis to worry or lose her trust in you or me."

Roger nodded stiffly. Melanie could tell he was upset. They shut off the movie and walked to the entryway, put their jackets on, and left.

* * *

The moment Melanie got home, she ran past her mother and up the stairs to her room. "Melanie, honey, are you OK?" Mrs. Schwartz asked.

"I'm fine, Mom," Melanie said, and she slammed her door shut. She flopped onto her bed and picked up her cordless phone and dialed Maureen's number.

"Maureen, I need to talk to you," she said, when Maureen picked up.

"What's wrong, Mel?" she asked. "You sound upset."

"Maureen, I…" Melanie stammered. She was unable to begin telling Maureen what had happened.

"What is it?" Maureen asked, worried. "Spit it out."

"Well, OK," Melanie said. "Roger tried to get me to have sex with him tonight."

"WHAT?" Maureen yelled.

"Maureen, please don't yell," Melanie said. "My head hurts."

"Were you two drinking?" Maureen demanded.

"No, not a drop, I swear," Melanie said. "And you should talk." Before Maureen could retort, she went on. "We were watching a movie and I freaked out. I went to go sleep in his mom's room for a while, and I had a nightmare… Silly, I know… Well, I woke up with him holding me, and—"

"What movie was it, Mel?" Maureen interrupted.

"_Jaws_," Melanie replied. "Does it really matter?"

"No, I was just curious. Don't worry; at first, that movie freaked me out, too," Maureen said. "Go on."

"And, well, he was holding me and… before I knew it, we were all over each other. But I pushed him away and told him we had our whole lives to do it, and that I wasn't ready… And, well, I think he got frustrated, because he saw me home without saying a word."

"Well… the only suggestion I have is to talk to him, Mel," Maureen said. "And tell him that, if he ever tries to make you do something you don't want to again, I'll kick his ass."

"OK, Maureen, I will," Melanie said. "I'd better go before my mom gets home. She was working an evening shift, but she doesn't like me on the phone after nine, and it's almost ten."

"OK, Mel," Maureen said. "Take care, OK? And don't put off talking to him."

"I won't, Mo," Melanie said, "but I am going to go to bed."

"OK. Goodnight, Mel," Maureen said, and she hung up.

Melanie changed into her pajamas, and as she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders, she heard her mother enter the house and shut the door. Mrs. Schwartz walked upstairs and quickly entered Melanie's room. She looked down at Melanie, who was pretending to be asleep, and then, satisfied, she left the room and closed the door.

Melanie didn't sleep well that night.

* * *

As always, don't forget to review. I will be uploading the next chapters as soon as I can. Be prepared for more CollinsOC with Brian, but it will NOT affect his relationship with Angel during RENT, so don't let that worry you or turn you off from this story. I don't know when I will update, though, because my musical openstonight (Rosablasifann08, I'll tell you more about it when I talk to you on Saturday, but dress rehearsal was amazing, I made no mistakes, YAY!), I'm concentrating on getting scholarship applications done, and I'm also having some family trouble, among many other things that are keeping me busy. I will update again as soon as I can, though. Thanks for reading. I can't wait to see your guys' opinions.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	4. A Jewish Christmas

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"Merry Christmas, baby," Roger said, kissing Melanie as he met up with her outside of the school. It was the end of their last day of school before Christmas break, December 18th, and Christmas was only a week away.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, baby," Melanie said, looking up at him. "But it isn't Christmas yet, you know."

"I know, but there's snow, so I'm in the Christmas mood," Roger said, smiling at her. "Besides, it is only six days away."

"You're right," Melanie said, smiling at him. "So is everyone getting together for Christmas or are we being forced to stay with our individual families for the holiday?"

"Well, my mom talked to your mom via the hotline, and in the end, they agreed that everyone should come to your house for the holiday and spend the week there," Roger said. Melanie looked up at him, surprised. "I know you don't think you have enough room, so my mom said we'd only spend the day there and go home at night."

"Sounds great, but at least stay over on Christmas Eve, OK?" Melanie asked. "Otherwise, I'll miss you too much. I'm sure Mom will understand just once."

"I wouldn't dare miss out on my first Christmas with my girl," Roger said, smiling down at her.

"Good," Melanie said, grinning at him. "Is Collins coming home for the holiday as well?"

"He's planning on it," Roger said. "I'm pretty sure Mark is begging him to come home."

Melanie smiled. "Good," she said again. "I'm so excited to spend the time with you guys."

"So am—" Roger began, but his words cut off mid-sentence as a snowball came out of nowhere and hit him on the shoulder. He looked around for the culprit and the only person within range and looking at him was Benny. "OK, Benny, you asked for it!"

Roger picked up some snow, made it into a ball and lobbed it at Benny. It hit him on the side of the head.

"Hey, no head shots!" he yelled.

"Sorry," Roger said, grinning devilishly; he was not sorry at all. In fact, both he and Melanie were laughing.

Maureen and Mark came running over to join the battle. Soon, everyone was involved in a full-blown snowball fight. About half an hour later, they carpooled back to Melanie's house, soaking wet, sweaty, hot, and tired, but happy and in the holiday spirit.

* * *

As they were walking up to Melanie's house, she noticed a familiar African-American man walking down the street toward them, another familiar person by his side. Her mouth fell open. "Collins!" she squealed excitedly. "Brian! You're home!"

"Hey, Baby girl," he said, hugging her happily. "Did you have a good end of the semester?"

"It was OK," Melanie said. "But we've still got exams when we get back."

"Ew," Brian said, also hugging her happily. "My deepest sympathies are with you. We had ours last week, so we've got new classes to look forward to when we get back."

"I'll be glad when I get new classes, too," Melanie said. She looked up at her brother's baby-blue eyes. "Have you told Mom yet, about…?" She wanted to be discreet about it; even though the others had guessed one way or another that Brian was gay, she wasn't sure if he really wanted them to know yet, especially since he was Collins' partner.

"Not yet," Brian said. "I'm going to tell her tonight."

"OK," Melanie said. "I hope things go well."

"Thanks, sis," Brian said, smiling down at her. "I think I'm going to take her to dinner and a movie. We'll be back later tonight, though."

"OK," Melanie said. "I'm glad you're telling her. I think you'll feel better about it once you do."

"I hope I do, Mel," Brian said. "Come on, let's get inside. It's cold out here."

"Why are you all wet, girl?" Collins asked, pulling her into another hug.

"Snowball fight," Melanie said, grinning. "Benny started it."

"Good for Benny," Brian said, and he laughed as Melanie whacked him on the arm. "Hey, it gets you out of the house."

"I guess it does," Melanie agreed, and they all went inside.

* * *

"Mom, what did you get me?" Mark asked, looking at Mrs. Cohen nervously, as he looked down at his present from her. It was late and they were all opening presents, after Brian had gotten back from going out to dinnerwith Mrs. Schwartz. He hadn't yet told Melanie about her reaction, but he had promised to, so she knew he would.

"Go on, open it," Mrs. Cohen said. "If you're going to move to New York for college, you're going to need it."

Mark opened the present and pulled out a crocheted black-and-white scarf. "Oh, Mom," he said, blushing, "I like it." And he was telling the honest truth.

"I'm glad you like it," Mrs. Cohen said, smiling. "Put it on." Mark did; it looked really good on him. "OK, Collins, you go next."

"OK," Collins said, and he opened his present. He pulled out a warm, yellow vest. "Ooh, a vest. I like it. And"— he pulled out a black cap— "a black wool cap. Mrs. Cohen, this is great. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Collins," Mrs. Cohen said. "I'm only sorry it wasn't your parents that were giving it to you, instead of me."

Collins smiled solemnly. His parents had died in aplane crash six years ago, when he was fifteen. One morning in November, he had just woken up without any parents anymore. He had to live with Roger and Mrs. Davis until he was eighteen and then he moved into his own apartment in New York City. Living there, it made sense that he attended college at New York University. He was at peace with his parents' deaths now, but he missed them a lot sometimes. He considered Mrs. Cohen and Mrs. Davis to be his two bonus mothers because, even if they seemed rather anal-retentive and control-freak-like sometimes, he knew they only wanted to take the best of care of Mark, Cindy, Roger, him, and the others as best as possible.

"And what did you get me, Roger?" Collins asked, looking at him as he came upon the present in his pile.

"Open it and see," Roger said, grinning at him.

It was somewhat bigger than Collins' present from Mrs. Cohen and Collins opened it to reveal a long, leather jacket.

"Wow, a leather jacket," Collins said happily. "Thanks, man."

"No problem," Roger said, smiling at him.

"And what did you get me, Mark?" Collins asked, looking at him as he opened the present from Mark. "Ooh, some stoli! Thanks a lot, man; just in time for my birthday next month."

"No problem, Collins," Mark said, smiling at him. "You're turning the big 21. I figured you needed something to celebrate it with."

Collins nodded and grinned. He could hardly wait. Little did Collins know just how vital those three items would become in a few years…

"Now Melanie," Roger said, looking at her and giving her a present.

"What did you get me, Roger?" Melanie asked, looking up at him curiously.

"If you open it, you can find out," Roger said.

"OK," Melanie said, and she opened it, revealing a green necklace of jade. "Wow, Roger, is this real jade?"

"It is," Roger said, smiling at her. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Melanie said, smiling at him.

"Well, go on, put it on," Maureen said, and she helped Melanie put it on. "It looks awesome."

"Thanks," Melanie said, smiling.

"OK, Mo, your turn," Roger said, and he handed her a package.

"Oh, God, I'm a little scared," Maureen teased. She opened the present and pulled out a leather cat suit, complete with felt ears and faux claws. Her mouth fell open. "Oh, my God, this is _awesome_!"

"I knew you'd like it," Roger said, not daring to look at Mrs. Davis or Mrs. Cohen. He knew they wouldn't be too happy with him. "So when are you going to wear it?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe right now?" Maureen said, looking around at them. "I could model it for you guys."

Roger and Mark grinned. "Do it," they said together. Maureen ran to the bathroom and put on the suit. When she came back, everybody— even Mrs. Cohen and Mrs. Davis— burst out laughing. It was skin-tight and made Maureen look sexy. She did some sexy dance moves to go with it and they all laughed again.

"Is Benny spending the holiday with Alison and her family?" Melanie asked, looking at Roger.

"Yeah," Roger said. "He wanted to make a good impression."

"Good for him," Melanie said, as the others rolled their eyes. "I hope he's having as much fun as we are."

Roger nodded. Then he looked around. "OK, who's up for another snowball fight?" he asked.

"I am!" Melanie, Maureen, Mark, and Collins said together, jumping up immediately. They all put on their coats and other snow gear and went outside to start the fight.

* * *

That night, after everyone had gone home, Roger lingered. "Wanna watch a movie, Mel?" he asked.

"Sure, I guess," she said. "We should try not to wake Mom up, though."

"Yeah, you're right," Roger said, smiling at her.

When they weren't quite halfway through the movie, Roger looked over at Melanie. Her green eyes met his and he felt his heart flutter. "Merry Christmas, baby," he said quietly, kissing her.

"Merry Christmas, Roger," Melanie replied, kissing him back. She seemed to be getting tired.

Roger closed his eyes and deepened the kiss. Melanie reached over with her eyes closed and grabbed the remote and quickly shut the movie off, just in time. Roger picked her up off the couch and carried her up the stairs to her room. They lay down on her bed and Roger climbed on top of her, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked, breathing hard.

"Yes," Melanie said, "I'm ready. I know you'd never hurt me, Roger."

"I love you, Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz," Roger said, pulling his shirt off and leaning down to kiss her again.

"I love you, too, Roger Andrew Davis," Melanie said.

She smoothly pulled off her own shirt and Roger leaned down, unhooked her bra strap and began to caress her bare breasts. Then he undid his belt, took off his jeans, and threw them on the floor. He caressed Melanie's waist with his hands and Melanie gasped, feeling a tingle go through her body.

"What is it?" Roger asked, breaking away from kissing her again.

"Nothing; that just felt amazing," Melanie said, looking up at him.

Roger smiled and smoothly undid Melanie's jeans and pulled them down off her. She quickly kicked them off and he added them to the pile of clothes on the floor, leaning down to kiss her. Melanie explored the design of his boxers with her fingers. Roger shuddered violently with pleasure before she smoothly removed them as well. All that was left was her underwear, which Roger quickly did away with, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Roger," Melanie said between gasping breaths, "we should… you know… use protection."

"Why?" Roger asked, kissing her neck and making shivers go through her body again. "It can't happen on the first time."

Melanie sighed. "Yes, I guess you're right," she said.

Roger kissed her again and then they began to make love. Melanie groaned with pleasure. It was the first time for both of them, and since it was Christmas, it was extra-special. When they were done, Roger laid down next to Melanie, breathing hard and desperately in love.

"I love you, Melanie," he said, looking down at her from where he was propped up on one elbow.

"I love you, too, Roger," Melanie said, smiling at him, and after Melanie got into her pajamas and Roger put his boxers back on, they fell asleep together.

* * *

"Hey, rise and shine, sleeping beauty," whispered a voice the next morning.

Melanie gasped and sat up quickly, afraid it was her mother and they'd been caught in the act. "What the hell?" she said.

"Shhh, it's just me," Brian said, looking at her. He rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

"Shut up, will you?" Melanie said. "Or you'll wake Mom up. Get in here if you want to talk."

Brian looked at Roger, snoring softly next to Melanie. "I think I'd rather not," he said.

"Oh, fine, don't, then, but at least shut the door, will you?" Melanie hissed.

Brian looked at Melanie. "So you decided to, huh?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," Melanie said passionately. "It was amazing, Brian."

"Melanie Schwartz, what have they told us in school all these years?" Brian asked. "You could get pregnant or get an STD or something."

"We used protection, Brian," Melanie lied, trying to get her brother off her back.

"Well, good, or I might have to give Roger a piece of my mind," Brian said, seemingly satisfied, "and I'd rather not. Are you going to tell Mom?"

"No, I'm not," Melanie said. "It's just between me and Roger. You shouldn't even be here."

Roger stirred next to her, and when he realized she was talking to someone, he sat bolt-upright. "Roger, shhh," Melanie said quickly, afraid he'd yell at Brian and wake Mrs. Schwartz up.

"Brian, what the hell is your damage?" Roger snapped irritably.

"Well, I came to tell you two that Santa's been here, but I _was _only expecting Melanie to be in here," Brian said.

"Oh," Roger said, and he deflated some. "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all. Now get dressed, you two, and come downstairs. Actually, scratch that; Roger, you'd better get out of here before my mom wakes up," Brian said. "Sorry to ruin your Christmas, but..."

Roger nodded. "It's OK," he said. He leaned over and kissed Melanie. "I'll be back in a couple hours, OK? You go back to sleep."

"OK," Melanie said, "I'll save your stocking for when you get back. Merry Christmas, Roger."

"Merry Christmas, Melanie. I love you," Roger said, and he kissed her again before he got out of bed and dressed after Brian left the room.

"Through the garage and out the back," Brian murmured to Roger as he passed. "Mom will never know you were here."

"Thanks, man," Roger said, looking at him before he left.

Brian went back inside and upstairs to Melanie's room after Roger had left. He knocked quietly and then went in. "Hey, Mel, you wanted to know what Mom's reaction was, right?" he asked her.

Melanie sat up. "Yeah, of course," she said. "What did she say?"

"She said that, while she was surprised, she was glad I came out to her, and that she hopes she can truly accept me for who I am," Brian said. "She's glad I'm so happy with Collins and she knows he'll take care of me."

"That's great, Brian," Melanie said, smiling at him.

Brian nodded. "Well, I just wanted you to know," he said. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

"Nah," Melanie said, "now that I'm up, I'm up. I might as well seize the day."

Brian smiled. "Do you want to go for a walk or something?" he asked. "We could talk and catch up for a while, until Roger and the others wake up and everyone wants to open presents."

"OK," Melanie said, "that sounds great. Give me ten minutes and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Great," Brian said, smiling at his little sister, and he left the room.

* * *

I know people have been reading this story, but no one's reviewed. Please review to tell me what you think. I personally really like this story and the first several chapters have been coming to me very easily, to be written down to share with all of you. I think my favorite part of this chapter, personally, was seeing all the future essential RENT items (such as Collins' vest and Maureen's cat suit) being given out at Christmastime. I thought of that and knew I just had to use it. If I missed any other essential RENT items that you guys can think of, let me know andI'll try to write up more scenarios, even if they aren't Christmastime scenarios. I hope to get some feedback soon, but regardless of if I do, I will continue to post as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	5. Without You

I don't own the Jonathan Larson song. I'm only renting it, ha ha. Here is chapter 5. Eventually, it's very emotional, so here's your only warning. And just to clear something up, Roger and Melanie met at the end of their sophomore year, around March or April. So their first anniversary would be in their junior year. That's all from me. Happy reading.

Can anyone guess which New York City apartment is referred to in this chapter? Happy reading.

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"Happy Anniversary, baby," Roger said, kissing Melanie's head as he handed her a small box. They were sitting against a tree outside of the school, waiting for Mrs. Schwartz to arrive to pick Melanie up.

"Happy Anniversary to you, too, baby," Melanie said. "I can't believe it's been a year already. Where did our junior year go?"

"I know," Roger agreed, smiling. "Open the box, baby."

"OK," Melanie said, and she opened the box to reveal a small green ring in the shape of a heart. Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. "Oh, my gosh, Roger, this is amazing. Where did you get this?"

"Do you like it?" Roger asked, dodging the question.

"I love it," Melanie said, leaning up to kiss him. She lay in his arms and he pulled her close to him. "Can you believe it's been a year already?"

"Nope," Roger said. "But it's been one amazing year. I've loved every minute of it."

Melanie smiled. "Me too, baby," she said. "This has been the best year of my life. And you know, I really didn't think it was going to be, with my dad leaving and us moving and everything. But you and Mark and the others took me in and made me feel comfortable. Scarsdale is home now."

Roger kissed the top of her head. "I'm so glad you've become comfortable here," he said. "And just in time for us to move to the city, too."

Melanie laughed. "Yes, I suppose it is, huh?" she said. She looked up at him. "I love you, Roger."

"I love you, too, Melanie," Roger said, stroking her hair. Melanie began to relax at his touch and fall asleep for a few minutes. "Hey, silly, you'd better wake up. We gotta get home. Your mom's here."

"Oh yeah," Melanie said, laughing. She wasn't sure how long she'd been dozing, so she was glad Roger had woken her up. Roger got up and helped her to her feet and they walked to the car. But before she opened the car door, Roger turned Melanie toward him. "What's up?" she asked, looking up at him, confused.

"Marry me, Melanie," Roger said.

Melanie's eyebrows rose. "What?" she asked, surprised.

"Marry me," Roger said. Then, remembering his manners, he added, "please. You're gonna be 18 eventually, and then there's nothing our parents can do to stop us, even if we're still in school. I'm already 18."

Melanie smiled. "Mhm," she agreed.

"So, uh… I'd kinda like an answer, Mel," Roger said nervously, looking down at her and smiling.

"Oh. Yes," Melanie said, and she giggled. "Yes, Roger, I will marry you. I love you and I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Me, either, Melanie," Roger said. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me too, Roger," Melanie said. "But we wouldn't be able to have the wedding until May, just before graduation.. is that OK with you?"

"If I have to, I'll get your mom's consent, so we can have it earlier," Roger said, looking down at her.

She looked at her mother, waiting in the car. "Well, I'd better go, before my mom sees this."

"Can't we tell her?" Roger asked.

"I don't know, Roger," Melanie admitted. "Maybe not yet, OK? I mean, I know we've been together a year, but… but there are couples in this school that have been together for five years and aren't married yet. I just… just not yet, OK? We will soon."

"Promise?" Roger asked.

Melanie looked up at him. "Promise," she said, and she kissed him goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"OK. I'm gonna get a real ring and do it right real soon, I promise, OK?"

Melanie nodded. "Even if you don't, I still will," she said.

Roger smiled, his heart pounding with euphoria. "Bye, Melanie. I love you," he said, and he watched her get into the car, holding the box tightly.

* * *

"Mel, I was thinking," Roger said, a few weeks later. "When we get married, we should get our own place."

"But I was thinking about going to NYU, like Brian," Melanie said, looking at him.

"I know. We'd get our own place in the city somehow, or we'd share an apartment with Brian and Collins," Roger said.

"That sounds great, actually," Melanie said. "Then you could play in clubs and bars and be on your way to being a rock star."

"With my rock star wife," Roger said.

Melanie smiled. "I like the sound of that," she said, kissing him. Her mother was working again and Brian was hanging out with Collins, so they had the entire house to themselves. They took advantage of this, Roger carrying Melanie up to her bedroom to make love.

* * *

"Guys, we need to tell you something," Melanie said, a few days later, meeting Maureen, Mark, and Benny outside of the school with Roger.

"What's up, Mel?" Maureen asked.

"We're engaged," Melanie said.

Maureen, Mark, and Benny's jaws dropped. "What?" they said. "No way!"

"Yes way," Melanie said, laughing. "But you can't tell anyone about it, OK? Particularly Roger's parents or my mom."

"Why not, Mel?" Maureen asked. "They'd be happy for you, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah, but I'm not 18 yet, so we'd need consent," Melanie said. "I don't want to have to deal with my mother for that."

"But your mom's cool, baby," Roger said. "I think she'd say yes. If anything, Brian will convince her to say yes."

Melanie gave him a look. "I still don't want to have to deal with it," she said.

"Ooh, a little rebel, huh?" Benny teased, smiling.

"Shut up, Benny," Roger said.

"Sorry, man," Benny said, looking at him.

"OK, we won't say a word, as long as we're invited to the wedding," Maureen said.

"Of course you guys are invited, you guys are our best friends," Melanie said. "I can't wait to tell Collins and Brian, too."

"Do you think Brian will freak?" Maureen asked.

"Probably," Melanie said, "but I think I can handle him."

"Good luck with that," Maureen said, hugging her.

"Thanks, Mo," Melanie said, smiling at her.

"Oh, and we're gonna move to the city, too," Roger said. "We're thinking about asking Brian and Collins to share their apartment with us."

"You think they'd do that?" Mark asked.

"I definitely think they would," Roger said. "After all, Brian is Mel's brother. He'd do anything to make sure she's safe."

Melanie nodded. "He would," she agreed.

"So that's the plans for now, but again, it's all hush until we say," Roger said.

"All right," the others said, nodding.

"And we're both going to NYU for music," Roger said.

"Sounds good," Mark said, looking at Roger.

Roger smiled. "I'm glad you agree," he said.

Mark smiled. "As long as you two are OK, we're OK with it," he said.

Roger nodded.

* * *

_Five weeks later…_

Melanie put a hand to her head. She was feeling sick and was slightly warmer than usual. She'd been feeling extremely tired all day, but hadn't yet actually been sick.

"Are you OK, baby?" Roger asked, looking down at her with concern, as he met her outside the choir room.

"I'm OK," Melanie said. "I don't feel well."

"You look pale, baby. You should go home and rest," Roger said.

"I think I might," Melanie said. "But I'll wait until second period is over, then I'll go home for lunch and stay home."

"Let me drive you home," Roger said. "I don't want you driving when you're like this."

"OK," Melanie said. "Thanks, Roger."

"No problem, baby. I love you," Roger said.

"Love you, too," Melanie replied, smiling weakly up at him.

* * *

Roger drove Melanie home and carried her up to her bedroom. She was so tired, she could barely move. Roger held her as she lay motionlessly on the bed.

"Roger," she said, "I'm scared. I'm never sick… or hardly ever, except for the occasional cold. You don't suppose this could be…?

"I don't know, baby," Roger said. "Look, I'll run down to the health store and get a test, OK? You lie down and see if you can sleep and I'll bring it back. We'll see if that's what it is."

"OK, Roger," Melanie said.

"Mel, do you know if your mom keeps a small bucket anywhere, in case you get sick and can't make it to the bathroom?" Roger asked,bringing thecovers up over her chest.

"Downstairs, in the closet under the stairs," Melanie murmured. Roger quickly went downstairs and got it for her. "Thank you, Roger. I really appreciate this."

"No problem, baby," Roger said. "I'll be back in five minutes, OK?"

"OK. Don't speed, OK? I'm fine, really," Melanie said.

"OK, baby, I won't speed," Roger said, casting a worried look at her before he went downstairs and left for the health store.

* * *

"Roger, it's two pink lines," Melanie called from the bathroom.

"Two pink lines?" Roger echoed. "Isn't two pink lines a good thing?"

"No, I think two pink lines means it's positive," Melanie said, looking at him. She sank to the floor in the bathroom, putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh man, this is not good. I don't know how far along I am."

"I'm sorry, baby," Roger said. He didn't know what else to say.

"Roger, I don't want to be the first pregnant senior," Melanie sobbed, and she started to cry.

"I know, baby, and I'm sorry," Roger said. "But what else do we do? I know you, you'll refuse an—"

"That's right, Roger, I don't want an abortion," Melanie said loudly. She clutched her head. "Shit, my head feels like it's going to explode."

"Do you want me to go for a while?" Roger asked.

"No, stay, please," Melanie said. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's OK, baby, I understand," Roger said. "It's partly my fault, anyway."

"You can't blame only yourself," Melanie said. "I agreed to have sex on Christmas Eve, and there were other times... It wasn't just you."

Roger nodded. Melanie was right; he couldn't disagree about that.

"Well, we'll figure something out, Mel," Roger said. "I promise."

"I hope so, Roger," Melanie said.

* * *

_One month later…_

Melanie was shaken awake roughly by someone one night. It was May and Melanie's birthday was only days away. She could hardly wait to turn 18. According to the doctor, she was almost four months along, so her turning 18 would mean she could make the decision about her and Roger's baby without her mother having any say.

"Melanie! Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz, get up this instant! This is urgent!" said her mother's frantic voice through the darkness.

"Mom?" Melanie murmured sleepily, rolling over onto her back. "What is it?"

"You have to come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the hospital."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Brian's been in a car accident."

"Oh, my God!" Melanie sat bolt-upright and looked at her mother, instantly awake. "Is he OK?"

"I don't know anything more right now, other than he's been in the accident," Mrs. Schwartz said. "We have to go now. Throw on some clothes and a jacket and let's go."

"OK, I'll meet you downstairs, Mom," Melanie said frantically.

"Good," Mrs. Schwartz said, and she quickly left Melanie's room.

Melanie jumped out of bed, dressed faster than she ever had before, and ran down the stairs. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she grabbed a coat from the closet and followed her mother to the car.

* * *

The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. Melanie had called and woken up Roger during the drive there, and he had said he would meet her at the hospital.

"My mom can kill me later," he had said. "You need me, baby."

"I know, baby," Melanie had replied appreciatively.

The moment Melanie walked into the waiting room, she spotted Roger standing against one of the waiting room walls. He rushed over to her and held her close.

"Melanie," he said, and he hugged her and kissed her, "it's OK. Brian's a fighter. It'll be OK." He looked at Melanie's mother. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Schwartz."

"I know, Roger, but it isn't your fault," Mrs. Schwartz said.

"It's not right for me to not be here for you and her, you know? Plus, Brian's my friend," Roger said. Mrs. Schwartz nodded appreciatively.

"When will we know what's happened, Mom?" Melanie asked.

"I don't know, honey," Mrs. Schwartz said. "Come on, let's just sit down for now, until they call Brian's name, OK?"

"OK," Melanie said. She sat down on the floor next to Roger— they didn't want to be separated by a chair— and waited.

* * *

"Brian Schwartz?" the doctor called, as he came into the waiting room.

Melanie, Roger, and Mrs. Schwartz stood up immediately. Though Roger and Melanie had been dozing, they instantly revitalized when they heard Brian's name.

"Yes, what is it?" Mrs. Schwartz demanded, going over to the doctor.

"I'm Doctor Reese Morgan. Come with me, please," the doctor said.

He led Mrs. Schwartz, Melanie, and Roger down a long, white hallway to an office room. He opened the door for them and they walked in. It was a standard office; tan carpeting, white walls, an examination table, a desk, and two chairs. Melanie and Mrs. Schwartz sat in the two chairs, but Roger remained standing.

"Would you like me to get another chair?" Doctor Morgan asked.

"No, I'm fine, really," Roger said immediately.

Doctor Morgan nodded and looked at Mrs. Schwartz. "You are Brian's mother and younger sister, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," Mrs. Schwartz said. "Why? What's gone wrong? Where's Brian?"

Mrs. Schwartz knew in the next second that something had gone terribly wrong, when Doctor Morgan's serious face fell to one hundred percent sympathetic. Then he spoke.

"I'm very sorry to inform you, Mrs. Schwartz, that Brian didn't survive the crash."

Mrs. Schwartz let out an agonizing moan and tears streamed down her face, as she sank to the floor. She clutched her stomach and looked like she was going to be sick. "Oh, my God," she cried, "my boy, my poor baby boy…"

Melanie buried her face in Roger's chest as she cried. She literally felt like her heart was breaking. She had never felt this miserable before. Roger held her close, like he would never let her go again.

"H-how did it happen?" Mrs. Schwartz stammered, after a few long moments, as she sat back in the chair. She had regained some of her composure. "He was supposed to be going back to NYU…?

"They were. Brian and a friend were driving down the interstate, going back to New York University, going eighty miles an hour. It was raining and visibility was poor. Their car started to hydroplane, Brian lost control, and their car went into the ditch. It rolled three times and hit a tree. They were both wearing their seatbelts, so neither was ejected—" Doctor Morgan said, but Mrs. Schwartz interrupted him.

"So Brian should be alive!" she exclaimed. "They always say that seatbelts save lives… that there's every reason car crash victims should live… Why is my baby boy dead if he wasn't ejected?"

"They hit the tree on the driver's side. Brian was driving. The impact of hitting the tree killed him instantly," Doctor Morgan said. "I'm certain that he felt no pain in his death. It was all too fast."

"Doctor Morgan," Melanie began, as something occurred to her. But her mother talked over her.

"Melanie, be quiet, let the doctor speak," Mrs. Schwartz said.

"Doctor Morgan, I need to—" Melanie began, louder.

"Melanie, hush," Mrs. Schwartz said to her.

"Mom, I need to ask Doctor Morgan something!" Melanie said, her voice rising almost to a yell. She looked at the doctor apologetically for reacting like this, and spoke quickly before her mother could silence her again. "Doctor Morgan, you keep saying 'they', 'them'. Was someone else with Brian or not?"

Doctor Morgan nodded. "His classmate, Thomas Collins, was also with him."

"Oh, my God, Collins!" Melanie and Roger exclaimed in horror.

"Is Collins OK?" Roger demanded.

"Thomas— or, as you are referring to him, Collins— has a broken arm, whiplash, and a few cuts and bruises, but he will be fine. He took a breathalyzer test and came up completely sober, and he also took a drug test, which we required. He says neither he nor Brian was under the influence of any drugs. With your permission, we will do an autopsy and find out if Brian was under the influence of any drugs."

"My brother didn't do drugs!" Melanie yelled angrily.

"Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz!" Mrs. Schwartz scolded her, and Melanie sat back against her chair, folded her arms, and scowled, but she was silent. She looked at the doctor. "Please, go on."

"Collins had some minor internal bleeding, which required one blood transfusion, but no surgery, so he will be fine," Doctor Morgan said. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Schwartz. Would you like to see your son?"

"Yes," Mrs. Schwartz said, her voice shaking. "Yes, I would… please…" Her voice trailed off to a whisper.

Doctor Morgan nodded. "Very well," he said. "Please follow me."

He led them to a bay in the emergency room. Melanie's heart broke again when she saw Collins sitting in a chair next to the stretcher, his large body shaking with sobs, his face streaked with tears, and he looked frail with grief. Brian's body, mostly covered with a white sheet, was on the stretcher in front of him.

Melanie began to cry again and Roger held her close. "Easy, Mel, easy…" he soothed. "Think about the…"

"Oh, Roger, not now," Melanie squeaked, pushing him away. "Not with… oh, my God… Brian…"

Collins heard her and turned around.

"Oh, my God, Mrs. Schwartz," he said, and he rushed to Mrs. Schwartz and suddenly hugged her, shaking badly. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

Mrs. Schwartz heaved in a breath and looked up at him. She wiped away his tears. "I know, Collins, I know," he said. "It wasn't your fault. Doctor Morgan said you two weren't drinking or under the influence of any drugs."

"We weren't, I swear to God," Collins said through his tears. "Oh, my God, Mrs. Schwartz, I'm so sorry. I can't say that enough."

"I know, Collins, I know," Mrs. Schwartz said, holding him close and rocking him motherly-like. "It was an accident."

"I know, but… oh, my God, Mrs. Schwartz, I'm sorry," Collins sobbed. He couldn't stop apologizing.

"It's OK, Collins," Mrs. Schwartz said, wiping away his tears and hugging him again. "I'm glad you're OK."

"Me too, but…" Collins stammered.

Melanie walked over to the bay and Collins quickly moved away. Melanie looked down at her brother. Except for a bruise on the left side of his head and neck, which she guessed traveled all the way down his left side, and he was paler than usual, he looked completely normal. It was almost like he was sleeping, not dead.

Melanie sucked in a breath and shivered as a chill went through her body. She reached out and touched his hand; it was cold and stiff. Melanie sobbed again and Roger held her. This made it real. Brian was really gone.

"What are we gonna do?" she sobbed. She tried to look at Roger, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her brother.

"I don't know, baby," Roger said, holding her close and resting his hand on her stomach. "I just don't know."

* * *

Brian's funeral went by in a blur for Melanie. She was in a daze. She could hardly think. Her brother was really gone. In a flash, just like that, he had been taken from her forever.

"That was a beautiful funeral," Mrs. Schwartz said, wiping her eyes as they walked away from the burial site together.

"It was," Mrs. Davis said. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Kali."

Mrs. Schwartz nodded. "Thank you, Kristin," she said quietly, and Mrs. Davis hugged her comfortingly.

* * *

As always, don't forget to review. Brian dying in this chapter was really hard for me to write. I wrote it while in school the other day and I almost started crying, right in the middle of my two classes I was in while I wrote this. You guys can yell and scream at me all you want, but I did warn you. I don't think the story will get worse from here, but we'll see. I might have one more incredibly sad situation. I'll have to see where I go with the idea currently in my head. We'll see what I come up with. I'm continuing to write bits that will hopefully turn into chapters soon as we speak.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	6. Brianna Maureen Davis

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Before Melanie knew it, she was almost four months along. She was continuing to get good grades, but her reputation at school was rapidly plummeting, now that everyone at school knew she was pregnant with Roger's baby. Besides Mark, Maureen, Collins, and Benny, Roger hadn't been very well-liked to begin with, but now things were much worse. His reputation was suffering, too. When she'd first arrived to Scarsdale, being immediately accepted by the Bohemians, she had no idea her life would end up like this. She didn't know how she was going to finally tell Mrs. Schwartz that she was pregnant. Even wearing her favorites of Roger's big sweatshirts wasn't hiding her baby bump anymore.

"I guess you just have to come right out and say it, Mel," Maureen said, sighing and looking at her.

"I guess I do," Melanie said. "I'm scared, Mo. What if she freaks out on me and tries to send me away or something? I can't leave Roger."

"I don't think she will, Mel," Maureen said. "She loves you and she just lost Brian recently. I'm sure she'll do anything to help you out, to protect you now."

Melanie nodded. "You're right," she said. "Will you come with me, just for moral support?"

"Sure, I will," Maureen said, gently hugging Melanie close. "So have you and Roger figured out names yet?"

"No, not yet," Melanie said. "We haven't really talked about it at all. But we do bothwant to be surprised. We're going to pick out names eventually, though."

"Just don't wait until the birth," Maureen said, "or that will be hell for both you and your mom."

Melanie smiled. "I don't think I'll be able to," she said. "Mo, school's been so hard being pregnant. For the longest time, I wanted to drop out and do something different, but you wouldn't let me."

Maureen nodded. She had yelled at Melanie for twenty straight minutes to convince her not to drop out, that a G.E.D. just wasn't as well-qualifying as a high school diploma; it had worked.

"But I don't think I can keep the baby and go to college at the same time. I mean, Roger said I couldn't get pregnant during our first few times… and now look at me; I have to wear huge sweatshirts and sweatpants to hide the evidence, and even that isn't helping much anymore," Melanie said.

Maureen cringed at Melanie's choice of words. "I know, Mel, but you should tell her soon," she said. "You can't hide it until the baby's born or the day you go into labor will be even more hell than you already think it will be. She has to know _somehow_. Besides, the hospital's gonna bill her for your doctor visits and stuff, since you're under 18."

Melanie sighed and looked at Maureen. "I know. Mo, I don't know how to tell her," she said.

"Well, you'll think of something," Maureen said. She squeezed Melanie's hand. "I'll help you out, OK?"

"Thanks, Mo," Melanie said, smiling at her.

* * *

"Mom, I need to talk to you," Melanie said, walking into the den that night.

"Yes, honey, what is it?" Mrs. Schwartz asked, turning around. She noticed Maureen. "Maureen, honey, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for moral support, Mrs. Schwartz," Maureen said.

Melanie cringed as her mother looked at her, nervous and suspicious. "What do you need to tell me, Melanie?" she asked.

Melanie sighed. There was no way to avoid the subject forever. "Mom, the reason I've been wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants and everything… is because I'm pregnant."

Mrs. Schwartz looked stunned for a moment. "Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz,when did this happen?" she asked.

"Roger and I have been having sex... since Christmas Eve," Melanie said. "I asked him to use protection, but he said we didn't need it for the first time and…" She gestured to her stomach. "Well, a few times later, here we are. But I knew I had to tell you."

"Oh, Melanie, I'm glad you did," Mrs. Schwartz said. "But I can't hide the fact that I'm very disappointed. I thought you knew better?"

"I'm sorry, Mom," Melanie said. "I did. But I love him."

"Melanie, sex isn't love," Mrs. Schwartz said, "and you knew the rules."

"That's what I told him when he wanted to the first time," Melanie said. "It was the time I said no."

Mrs. Schwartz looked at her daughter, who was leaning against Maureen. "Well, what do you want to do?" she asked. "Since you've hidden it for so long, it's much too late to get an abortion."

"I think I want to give it up for adoption," Melanie said. "I don't know if Roger will agree to that, though. Mom, he wants so badly to stay with me and help me. Please don't send me away to a home or something."

"Melanie, can you imagine living with him for the rest of your life? For the next forty, fifty, sixty years?" Mrs. Schwartz asked. Melanie shrugged. "Then I'd suggest you make the decision on your own; after all, it is your body. How far along are you?"

"About four months," Melanie said. "But I knew I couldn't hide it from you for the entire time."

"I'm glad you didn't," Mrs. Schwartz said, "because although I am disappointed in you, I do want to try and help. We need to convert one of the rooms in this house to a nursery and everything."

"I know. Thanks, Mom," Melanie said. "I'm really sorry."

"I know you are," Mrs. Schwartz said, looking seriously at her daughter. "We need to schedule an appointment for you to get prenatal vitamins and an ultrasound, too. Even though you haven't been doing those things since the beginning, which would have been best, anything helps."

"OK, Mom," Melanie said, "but can Maureen go with me? I appreciate the fact that you're… not angry… but I'd be more comfortable with her going instead."

Mrs. Schwartz looked at Maureen, who looked back blankly. "All right, if that's what you want," Mrs. Schwartz said. "You need to make a decision soon, though."

"I will," Melanie said.

"And Maureen, since you're going with Melanie instead of me, I'm going to tell you some things I want you to do, OK?" Mrs. Schwartz asked firmly.

"Yes, Mrs. Schwartz," Maureen said, nodding at her.

* * *

"Roger, I told her," Melanie said to him the next day, as she met up with Roger at his house.

"You what?" Roger asked, caught off-guard.

"I told her about the baby," Melanie said frantically, looking at him.

"You did?" Roger asked. "What did she say?"

"She said that, while she was really disappointed that I had broken one of her huge rules, but she's going to support me in whatever decision I decide to make," Melanie said. "This means we need to talk."

"Oh no," Roger said, "I don't think I like the sound of that."

"Roger, please, don't be like that right now," Melanie said, putting a hand to her head, and her other hand on her hip. "Look, we can't keep the baby."

"What? Why not?" Roger asked, whirling around to face her. "Mel, we can take care of it. Not just you and me; we all could, Maureen and everybody else. I _know _Maureen would jump on the chance to take care of anyone's baby, especially ours. She can be a real softie sometimes."

"No, Roger, we can't take care of it with everybody. Roger, we'regoing to graduate and move onto college," Melanie said.

"Mel, we don't graduate for like, another year," Roger said, looking down at her.

"Does it really matter? I'll have this baby around September. It's completely unreasonable to take care of a baby and go to college at the same time. We can't handle a baby and you know it. I mean, my mom could help us out, but she can only do so much. She's had to take care of me and Brian our whole lives. She had to hear and see that Brian _died_, Roger. I don't think she could honestly handle taking care of her grandchild, too," Melanie said.

"Mel, you aren't being serious, are you?" Roger asked her, looking down at her, horrified. "You can't really expect me to… to give up my baby to some stranger?"

"I think that's how it has to be, Roger," Melanie said. "I'm sorry. I know this will be one of the hardest things we'll both have to do."

Roger nodded and tears welled up in his eyes. "I know it will be," he said. "But I love you, Mel, and if this is what you think is best… then I'm going to go with it." As he said this, he sobbed and his body shook violently before the tears spilled over.

"Thank you, Roger," Melanie said, leaning up to kiss him and wiping away his tears. She hugged him close to her, only wishing she could make it all go away.

* * *

_Four months later..._

Roger jumped as the phone rang. He was listening to music in his room. He reached over on the nightstand to answer it. "Hello?"

"Roger, you have to come get me," Melanie's frantic voice said.

"Mel? Mel, what's wrong, sweetie?" Roger asked, clutching the phone nervously.

"I… I think I'm in labor," Melanie said. He heard her let out a cry of pain and he knew she was enduring a contraction. "Roger, it hurts so badly! Help me!"

"Mel, are you at home? Answer me, Melanie!" Roger said loudly, when she didn't respond after a second.

"Yes, I— I'm at home," Melanie said, breathing hard. "Please come!"

"I'm coming, Mel, I'm coming!" Roger said. "Where's your mom?"

"She's working as usual," Melanie said, and she groaned as another contraction hit her. "Roger, please hurry!"

"Just stay there, OK, Mel?" Roger said. "Just breathe, OK? I'll be there in five minutes."

"OK, Roger," Melanie said, and she hung up.

_Shit, _Roger thought, as he jumped into the car and sped off to Melanie's house, _the day has arrived and neither of us is ready for this. God, if you are for real, help me out here. I love Melanie more than anyone else in this world. We've been through so much together. I can't lose her, too. Please help me out. I'm only asking once._

Roger jumped out of the car as he pulled up in front of Melanie's house. He ran down the walkway and didn't even knock as he walked into the house. A sudden jolt went through his body as he realized Brian was no longer at home to answer the door…

"Melanie, where are you?" Roger yelled, looking around for her.

"I'm up here," Melanie yelled, "upstairs, in my room!"

Roger raced up the stairs and saw Melanie sitting on the floor of her bedroom, clutching her stomach in pain. She was pale and crying. "Roger, it hurts so badly!" she cried. "I didn't realize that was what it was at first, but after a few hours, my water broke. Then it all started happening so fast. I didn't know what to do. It's too early, it can't be happening now!"

"I know, baby, I'm so sorry," Roger said, and he helped her to her feet when the contraction ended. "Can you get down the stairs?"

"I'll try," Melanie said, and Roger helped her walk out of her room.

They were halfway down the stairs when another contraction hit Melanie. She screamed in pain and cried in Roger's arms. Roger was terrified; he'd never seen anyone in such pain before, except perhaps for Melanie, Mrs. Schwartz, and Collins, when they'd found out Brian had died.

"Almost there, Mel," Roger said, rambling in his nervousness. "Just to the car now, you can do it."

"Roger, I don't think I can make it," Melanie said.

"You can, you can," Roger encouraged her, and he held her hand as she endured another contraction. He picked her, writhing in pain, up into his arms and carried her to his car. Then he raced to the emergency room.

* * *

"I need help! Somebody please help!" Roger yelled, as he carried Melanie into the emergency room. He didn't really know where he was getting all this new strength from; he guessed it was adrenaline.

Doctors and nurses rushed over to him and helped him set Melanie onto a gurney. They wheeled her over to a bay.

"On my count," one of the doctors said to the other medical staff, "one, two, and—"

They lifted Melanie onto a bed and hooked her up to different machines, tubes, and other contraptions so fast that Roger barely saw it all happen. She let out a cry of pain as another contraction overcame her. "Roger," she cried.

Roger was immediately by her side, and she clutched his hand tightly. "I'm here, Mel," he said. "I'm here, baby. It's OK."

"What are your names?" one of the doctors asked.

"I'm Roger Davis and this is my girlfriend, Melanie Schwartz," Roger said. "She's in labor."

"So we noticed," another doctor said. Roger almost laughed at the sense of humor, but he was too scared.

"Is something wrong?" Roger asked the doctors. "I've never seen anyone in so much pain before…"

"Water's already broken," the first doctor said to the other nearby doctors and nurses. He glanced at Roger. "No, this is normal, especially for teenagers. I'm Doctor Nick West, by the way. I'm the main doctor on call right now. How old are you two?"

"Eighteen," Roger said.

"Melanie, when I say, I'll need you to push, OK?" Doctor West asked, looking up at her.

Melanie nodded, her mouth clenched shut, and she whimpered. "OK, push, Melanie," Doctor West said, and she did as she was told. "OK, take a little break." Melanie stopped pushing and lay back on the pillows, breathing hard and sweating. One of the nurses brought a lukewarm washcloth over to Roger, and by instinct, he wiped it across Melanie's sweaty forehead. They nodded in approval; he was obviously doing the right thing.

"Push again, Melanie," Doctor West said, a minute later. Melanie again did as she was told.

"Oh, my God," Melanie cried out.

"OK, the head is out. Melanie, just breathe, OK?" Doctor West told her. Melanie tried to do as she was told, but it was hard. Doctor West quickly suctioned the baby's mouth and nose. "Melanie, we'll have a baby if you push one more time, OK?"

"Oh, my God, this hurts so badly," Melanie cried. Melanie pushed with all her might, willing the baby to be born. She let out another cry as she pushed the baby out, and then she heard the baby's cries filling the room.

"Congratulations, Melanie and Roger, you have a beautiful baby girl at 4:24 P.M., August 5, 1981," Doctor West said.

"Isn't it early, though, Doctor West?" Melanie asked him. "She was due around, like, September."

"For teenagers, an early birth is common," Doctor West said. "And you're only a month early; that's not too bad."

Melanie nodded.

But when he went to hold the baby up to Melanie's chest, she pushed the baby away. "No," Melanie said, closing her eyes, "I don't want to see her."

"Why don't you want to see your daughter, Melanie?" Doctor West asked her.

"Melanie, look at our daughter," Roger said, looking from her to the baby. "She's so beautiful, Melanie. Look at her."

"I… I can't. I just can't. Please just take her, OK?" Melanie sobbed, looking at Doctor West.

"OK, but do you have a name for her?" Doctor West asked, as he handed the baby off to the nurses to clean up, weigh, and measure.

"Brianna," Melanie said, without hesitation, "Brianna Maureen Davis, after my late brother and my best girlfriend." She looked up at Roger, who nodded in agreement with tears in his eyes.

"OK, sounds good, Mel. You did a great job, considering everything happened so fast," Doctor West said.

"Thank you, Doctor West," Melanie said, looking up at Roger.

* * *

That evening, when Melanie was asleep, Roger left the room to go call the others. Within ten minutes, after Mrs. Schwartz had checked on Melanie in her room, they were all up on the fourth floor, looking at Brianna in the nursery.

"She's so beautiful, Roger. You guys have a little girl," Maureen said.

Roger nodded wordlessly. His throat was tightening up and his body was threatening that he would start to cry if he spoke.

"I'm sorry you have to do this, man," Collins said, going over to him.

Roger nodded again and then he broke down. The others hugged him as he sank against the wall, pulled his knees up to his chest, and cried. He knew what he and Melanie were going to have to do tomorrow and it was already breaking his heart.

* * *

So there you have it, Roger and Melanie's baby has entered the world. I knew from the moment I started writing Brian's death, I wanted Melanie to name the baby after him. And I've always wanted Roger to have a little girl to wrap around his finger (thinking, really, of Adam Pascal), so in the end, it was a girl. I never really considered a boy; not sure why. And I also knew that, with Melanie not being 18 yet, they wouldn't be able to keep the baby, which is why they are going to give it up for adoption in the next chapter.

I'm typing up the next chapter as fast as I can. Please be patient with me while you wait for updates. Also, many of you may have noticed the most recent FFN update; they no longer support little dashes between sections of chapters or any other char-based separator thingy? Well, this means I'm going to have to go through all 15 of my stories and redo all the formatting. Makes me angry, but I'm going to do it tomorrow, since I have no school and probably nothing better to do, since I don't work (yay!) LOL.

Of course, don't forget to review. Thanks.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	7. Promises and Healing

I don't own Adam Pascal's song _I'm With You_. I did alter one part of it just a little. I hope you readers don't mind. Here is chapter 7.

**Chapter 7**

* * *

A few days after Melanie and Roger had given Brianna up for adoption, Roger was sitting in the room they had converted into a nursery for Brianna. It was small, but cute. The wallpaper was white with pink hearts, and the carpet was tan-colored. There was a mobile of stars and the planets hanging from above the crib that spun every time Roger flicked his wrist against it.

Tears were shining on Roger's face from when he had been crying. His knees were pulled up to his chest, as he tried everything he could to prevent his emotions from ensuing.

Melanie came and stood in the doorframe and looked at him. "Roger?" she asked quietly.

Roger wouldn't look at her. He wasn't moving, and if Melanie couldn't see he was breathing, she would have thought he was a statue. She went toward him and slowly put her arms around him, on guard for any kind of sudden, explosive reaction he might have.

But none came.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and tears leaked out of her eyes, staining his white muscle shirt.

Suddenly, Roger broke down and cried bitterly.

"Shhh, easy, Roger, easy… It's OK," Melanie whispered, kissing his cheek and wiping his tears away, not bothering to tend to her own.

Roger shook his head. "No," he said, barely able to speak past the lump in his throat, "no, Mel, it's not OK. My baby… my baby girl… she's gone. I'm never gonna see her again."

"I'm sorry, Roger," Melanie said. "I miss her, too."

Roger sobbed and broke out of her grasp. He stood up quickly and left the room, sobbing. Melanie sat still for a moment her mind blank, before she got up to go after him.

"Roger," she called, looking around for him. She looked through every room upstairs, but didn't find him.

"Mrs. Davis, have you seen Roger?" she asked, going downstairs and into the kitchen.

"He said he was going for a walk, dear, and that he'd be back later," Mrs. Davis answered. "Is something wrong, dear? He looked really upset, but he wouldn't talk to me."

"He won't talk to me, either," Melanie said under her breath. "Mrs. Davis, I'm going to go find him, OK? If my mom calls, please tell her?"

"OK, I will, dear," Mrs. Davis said. "Call me if you have any problems."

"I will," Melanie said, and she grabbed her jacket and left.

* * *

_One hour later…_

Roger knocked on the door to Collins' flat. Collins looked surprised at seeing Roger when he answered.

"Hey, man, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Collins, I need a place to crash. Please, can I just crash here for a while?" Roger asked.

"Sure, man, come in," Collins said. Roger walked in, not looking at Collins, and he immediately flopped down on the old couch Collins owned. It was lumpy and uncomfortable, but Roger didn't care. Anything to take away the pain of losing Brianna was welcomed by him now.

"What's going on, man?" Collins asked. "Why are you so upset?"

"Why am I so upset?" Roger echoed, looking at him and clutching the pillow to his chest. "Brianna's gone, Collins. We gave her up for adoption the day after she was born to an infertile couple who wanted a baby so badly. We knew we couldn't care for her, so we had to let her go. No matter how many people here in Scarsdale pitched in, it still wouldn't have worked out. But I feel like part of me is missing. It hurts so bad that she's gone, and I'm never gonna see her again."

"I'm so sorry, man," Collins said. "I can't comprehend what it's like to lose a child, whether to adoption or whatever. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"All I want is Brianna back, but that's not gonna happen," Roger said. He stood up and looked at Collins. "I'm gonna go lie down for a while, if it's OK with you?"

"Sure, man. That bedroom right in front of you is free," Collins said. "I'm gonna go for a walk, though, OK? I'll leave you a note, in case you wake up and I'm still not here."

"OK. Thanks, man, I appreciate this," Roger said, and he went into the bedroom, closed the door, sank onto the bed, and quickly fell asleep. When he did, he dreamed of Brianna, of his little baby girl. He even saw images of what he imagined she'd be like once she grew up. He was never going to forget her.

* * *

"Mark, have you seen Roger?" Melanie asked, as Mark answered the door at his house.

"No, Mel, I'm sorry, I haven't," Mark said. "Why, what's wrong?"

"I found him crying and alone in the room we'd converted into a nursery for Brianna," Melanie said. "I tried to comfort him, but he ran off, really upset, and I can't find him now."

Mark looked down at her, concerned. "I haven't seen him, Mel, I'm sorry," Mark said. "Do you want me to help you look for him?"

"Would you, please?" Melanie asked. "You know him best… better than me, even. It'd be a big help."

"OK, just let me get my jacket and we can go," Mark said. Melanie nodded. Mark got his jacket and they left.

* * *

Collins shivered as he entered the cemetery. He'd never liked cemeteries, ever since he was little. He only remembered vague images of his parents' funeral. That, he reasoned, was probably why he didn't like cemeteries. But now Brian was buried here and he had every reason to not like them more.

Collins walked up to Brian's grave and looked down at it. The headstone read:

Brian Thomas Schwartz  
October 5, 1963 – March 20, 1982  
Dedicated Brother, Son, Lover  
Forever In Our Hearts

Collins sighed and knelt down in front of the grave. He closed his eyes and let his mind go blank. The wind blew gently around him, almost like Brian's arms had once wrapped around him. He missed Brian so much now. He had imagined that he could have spent the rest of his life with that boy, only to have him ripped prematurely and unfairly from him. Now he'd give anything just to be able to talk to him, face-to-face, again.

Collins opened his eyes and spoke. "Hey, baby, it's Collins," he said. "I know I haven't been out to see you in a while, but things have been kind of crazy lately. It seems like a lot is going wrong. Ever since you died, we found out that Mel got pregnant. Roger's the father. They had their baby about a week ago and had to give it up the next day. Brianna Maureen Davis, after you and Maureen; that was how Melanie wanted it and Roger couldn't agree more. She was really cute. Melanie doesn't know it, but Mo, Mark, and I went to see her. She was the sweetest thing you ever did see.

"It broke their hearts to have to let her go. But Mel isn't eighteen until May, so they had no choice. They tried to think of a way to be able to keep her, but nothing worked in the end. I'm so sorry, baby. Roger's a complete mess over it. He didn't want to give up Brianna for anything, but he had to. It didn't seem so hard for Mel. I know that sounds bad to say, but that's what it seemed like. I don't think she let herself get attached. Roger said she refused to even look at Bree when she was born. But I know it must be hard for her, too.

"Roger came to our apartment today. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. I haven't seen Mel yet. I hope she's OK. I know you're watching over all of us, but we're all going through a really hard time right now. But I promise I'll take care of Mel and Roger, OK? I don't know how… Roger's parents basically took care of me from when I was fifteen, when my parents died, until I was eighteen. But I'll try my best, OK?"

Collins stood up. "I'd better go," he said. "I wanna go say hi to my parents before I go back to Roger. I love you and I'll hopefully talk to you again soon."

Collins kissed his hand and pressed it to the gravestone. He traced the letters of Brian's name and then he left.

* * *

Roger was walking around the apartment, drinking coffee, when Collins got back. "Hey, man, you're up," Collins said.

"Yeah," Roger said, not looking at Collins. "I hope you don't mind that I made some coffee? I needed to wake up."

"It's fine," Collins said, "as long as you're OK."

"I'm fine," Roger said.

"Man, no, you aren't," Collins said, looking at him. "You're barely talking, you're not sleeping. You're not OK."

"OK, so I'm not OK. How can I be OK, Collins?" Roger asked him. "I lost my child. A part of me is missing, out there in this world somewhere."

"I'm sorry, man," Collins said. "I wish I knew how to help."

"Well, just don't keep reminding me of her or Melanie, OK?" Roger asked, turning away from him.

"OK, I won't. I'm sorry, man," Collins apologized. "I'm not intentionally trying to make it hard for you."

Roger sighed and sank into a chair and ran his fingers through his short blonde hair. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry, Collins."

"It's OK, man, I understand," Collins said.

Roger smiled wearily at him.

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

"Roger, man, you gotta get up," Collins said, coming into the room Roger slept in at his apartment.

Roger rolled over onto his back and looked at the clock. "Collins, what the hell is your damage?" he muttered. "It's 6:30 A.M."

"You gotta get to school, man. Your mom called me late last night. She says she's not letting you miss any more school," Collins said.

"Screw her," Roger said, "I'm not going back. I don't want to see Melanie."

"Man, you gotta quit running from her," Collins said, sitting on Roger's bed, looking down at him. "I'm sure she's hurting just as badly as you are, especially since you've been gone like this. I'm sure that isn't helping her any more than it is you. This is your senior year, man. It's supposed to be one of the best years of your life."

"Well, it's not, OK?" Roger said. "I'm only stressed and depressed. The doctor said so."

Collins nodded. Roger was right about that, he couldn't deny it. Collins had taken him to a doctor in New York City when he had refused to get out of bed or even move for three days straight. The doctor had diagnosed him with depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and the doctor had estimated it had all started when he and Melanie had had to give up Brianna for adoption.

"You wouldn't be so depressed if you'd talk to Mel and exercise or something, man," Collins said. "She wants to help you. You know that, so don't even try denying it."

"Is she the one who has been calling here six times a day?" Roger asked.

"Yeah, she is. She's worried about you, man," Collins said. "Just talk to her, OK? I'm driving you in."

"Fine," Roger said, and he rolled out of bed and dressed. When Collins wasn't looking, he went and got three bottles of stoli out of his alcohol cabinet and put them in his backpack.

* * *

Melanie was waiting for him at the door when he arrived. "Hey," she said, "how was your time at Collins'?"

"He's fine," Roger said, avoiding the question.

"No, Roger, I meant did you rest up and everything?" Melanie asked.

"Oh." Roger shrugged. "I guess so." He walked away from her and she followed him. "Look, Mel, I'm gonna be really busy, because I have a lot of homework from when I was gone, so I won't be around so much," he said, trying to get her off his back.

"Roger, wait," Melanie called after him. She caught up with him and swung her backpack off her shoulders to in front of him, so he couldn't walk away. "I got all your homework for you. Here."

She handed him a large manila folder and he looked at her. "Wow," he said, "um, thanks, Mel. I appreciate this."

"Of course, Roger," Melanie said, kissing his cheek. "I'm glad you're back."

Roger nodded. "I hope I'll be glad, too," he said, looking down at her.

* * *

_Three months later…_

"Merry Christmas, Roger," Melanie said, going up to him and kissing him.

"Merry Christmas, Mel," Roger said, looking down at her through tired eyes. He had been working extremely hard for the past several weeks to get caught up on all his work. Now he was completely done with everything and able to fully enjoy his Christmas break, which would begin in a few days.

"Did you get all caught up on homework and everything?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah, I did," Roger said. "I don't know how I could have done it without your help, but I'm caught up."

Melanie kissed him. "You worked really hard for a break," she said, putting her arms around him. "You deserve it."

Roger nodded. "Thanks, Mel," he said.

Melanie looked up at him as he became quiet. "Hey, are you OK?" she asked. "You're really quiet."

"I'm just thinking," Roger said.

"What are you thinking about?" Melanie asked.

"A lot of things," Roger said. "Brianna, Brian, me leaving… I'm sorry for so many things."

"Oh, Roger, I know," Melanie said. "Look, I know you just needed a break, OK? It happens. It's OK. I understand."

Roger nodded and she held him tightly. "I'm on anti-depressants, you know," he said.

"You are?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah, I have been for a couple weeks now," Roger said. "Collins was really worried about me when I just showed up on his doorstep and he made me go to the doctor and I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and insomnia."

"Are the pills helping?" Melanie asked.

"Not really, but my doctor said it takes time," Roger said. "And I've read stories about them making it worse, too."

"Roger, don't think like that, OK?" Melanie asked him, holding him close. "Think positively and things will work out. They are what you make of them."

"OK, Mel, I'll try," Roger said, looking at her. He kissed her forehead and she realized how much she'd missed that of late.

"Good boy," Melanie said, smiling at him. "Now let's get going, OK? I'm sure the others are waiting for us."

"OK. It'll be good to see them again especially Mark," Roger said, nodding. They walked to choir together.

* * *

"Mel, I have something I want to show you," Roger said, on the last day of school before Christmas break.

"What, Roger?" Melanie asked curiously.

"Over here," Roger said, and he pulled her aside in the hallway. He pulled out a small box. "Open it."

Melanie opened it and she pulled out a silver necklace. On it were two small pictures in circle frames of Brian and Brianna. There was also two other tags that said 'Roger' and 'Melanie'.

Melanie looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Roger, this is beautiful," she said. "Did you make this?"

"Yes," Roger said. "Well, yes and no. I bought the chain but the rest of it, I made. Do you like it?"

"It's overwhelming, but I love it," Melanie said. "It honors my brother, Brianna, and the two of us."

Roger nodded. "That was the idea," he said. He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm glad you liked it."

Melanie smiled and they went to go meet up with the others.

* * *

On Christmas Eve, after everyone else had gone to bed, Roger and Melanie were sitting curled up together in a chair by the fireplace. Roger handed Melanie an envelope.

"What's this, Roger?" she asked.

"Open it and see," he said.

Melanie opened it and pulled out a piece of paper. "Song lyrics?" she asked, looking at it.

"There's more," Roger said. "I did something productive while I was at Collins', at least."

"What do you mean, Roger?" Melanie asked.

"It's a song I wrote," Roger said. "I wrote it for Brianna."

"Oh, Roger, really?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah," Roger said. "Do you wanna hear it?"

"Yes, please," Melanie said.

"OK," Roger said, and he got his guitar. Putting it over his shoulder, he took the piece of paper from her and began to play.

_Starlight and wonder  
__The universe seen through your eyes  
The moon is a g__lorious halo  
__Hanging down over your head every night  
__Spinning and spinning  
__A flick of the wrist and a smile  
__And in the morning so early  
__Deep conversations are spoken  
__In tongues by sunlight_

_Tonight, you can dream you're a star  
__You can walk on the clouds  
__And float to the ground  
__And I'm with you_

_We stare out the window  
__And look to the sky every night  
__The stars are the beacons of heaven  
__And maybe, one day, you'll go up for a ride_

_Oh, you are the sunshine  
__You are the face that I dream of  
__You are your mother's religion  
__Down on her knees as she  
__Kisses your heartache away_

_Tonight, you can dream you're a star  
__You can walk on the clouds  
And float to the ground  
__And I'm with you  
__Tonight, you can get very far  
__The calm and the storm  
__Are forever yours  
__And I'm with you_

_I've thrown coins in the fountain  
__I've been to the mountain  
__I've lived through the violence  
__I've seen what men can do to men  
__I can't promise you peace  
__I can't promise you money  
__But I promise to make you the best girl I can  
__Hold on to something  
__Cause your life's about to begin_

_Oh, whoa, whoa, ooh  
Ah, hey, ah, ooh, oh  
__Ooh, ooh, oh, whoa, whoa  
__Whoa, whoa, ooh, ooh, ah_

_Tonight, you can dream you're a star  
__You can walk on the clouds  
__And float to the ground  
__And I'm with you_

_Tonight, you can dream you're a star  
__You can walk on the clouds  
__And float to the ground  
__And I'm with you_

When he finished, Melanie had tears in her eyes. "Wow, Roger," she said, "that was amazing. You wrote that for Bree?"

"Yeah," Roger said. "It was inspired by dreams I had of her after we gave her up. She was all I ever dreamed of."

"Roger, that's amazing," Melanie said. "Did it help you to write that?"

Roger nodded. "It did," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, either, though, Mel."

"Me either, Roger," Melanie said, and she pulled him in for a kiss.

"I love you, Melanie," Roger said. "I'm so sorry I ran. I never should have left you like that."

"It's OK. I understand you needed a break," Melanie said. "You needed to sort out your thoughts and everything."

"Yeah, I did, but I left you out in the cold, Mel. That was stupid of me," Roger said.

"Yeah, it was," Melanie agreed. "But you're back now. We can start to start over."

Roger nodded. "You're right," he said. "Hey, how did you get this good at understanding me?"

"Lots of practice," Melanie said, smiling up at him. Roger laughed and kissed her again. She melted in the passion of it. She had missed Roger so much. She wasn't ever going to let him go again.

* * *

Hey, everybody. Sorry this took so long to update. But I've been really busy with new classes and working a lot, since my play is now over, and I also recently got sick with a bad sinus cold. I've been meaning to update this for several days, but just never got the chance to finish it. But I have the next four days off from work (for some odd reason), so I'm going to use some of my time to update for you. This chapter is about 12 pages long, so I hope it's satisfactory and makes up for my absence.

Just to clear something up, Melanie got pregnant Christmas of her junior year and gave birth to Brianna around September, the beginning of her senior year. Roger left her for a couple of weeks right after Brianna was born, leaving them with most of their senior year to patch things up. I don't want any of you to be confused. If you still are, Email or PM me if you have any questions. I'm trying my best to make time lapses and such as smooth and simple as possible.

As always, as payback, send me some reviews. I love feedback. Oh, and by the way, I hope you guys don't mind that I subbed in 'girl' for 'man' in _I'm With You_. I really wanted Roger to write it special for Brianna, and having 'man' in there (because Adam Pascal wrote it for Lennon, his older son) wouldn't have worked. I hope you don't mind. It makes it work for the story. I apologize if any of the words coagulated together as one big block of text, but I've tried over and over to get it to stay line by line and it hasn't worked. Sorry.

I guess that's all from me. Happy early April Fool's Day and happy early April. Less than 40 school days left until graduation! Yay! :)

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	8. Waiting for an Answer

This chapter is really long, possibly one of the longest I've ever written. I hope it makes up for my dismal lack of updates of lack. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Reading. :)

**Chapter 8**

* * *

On Christmas Day, 1981, their last Christmas vacation of high school, Roger went to visit Melanie. He wanted to spend the day with her. When he walked into her house, he didn't hear anything for a few moments. He wasn't even sure she was home.

"Mel? Melanie, are you here?" Roger called.

There was still silence, so Roger went upstairs. He was going to walk into her room and see if she was there, but he heard noises coming from the bathroom. He went to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Mel, are you in there?" he asked.

A moment later, her reply came. "It's open, Roger."

Roger opened the door and walked in. Melanie was lying on the bathroom floor, her cheeks tear-stained, her makeup smeared, and her hair was a mess. She had obviously just gotten out of bed and had been crying.

"Mel, why are you in here by yourself, crying?" Roger asked, rushing over to her and holding her.

"I was just thinking," Melanie said.

"What about?" Roger asked, holding her close.

"This is my first Christmas without Brian. I mean, my first real Christmas without him," Melanie said. "He didn't die last year before Christmas, it was after. My mom went to work this morning without saying a word. I know she's upset. She hasn't called me or anything."

Roger nodded. "I can't imagine," he said, looking down at her.

"I just wish the pain of missing him so much would go away," Melanie said. "But he was my brother. I'm lost without him."

Roger bit his lip and held her close. "I'm sorry, Mel," he said. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Just hold me, Roger," Melanie said. "Just hold me and things will be OK eventually… I hope…"

"OK, Mel, I will," Roger said, not letting her go. "Melanie, I love you."

"I love you, too, Roger," Melanie said, lying against his strong frame.

* * *

A little while later, Melanie had calmed down and Roger called Mark's house. "Mark," he said, "I know you wanted everybody to get together there at your house today, but Melanie's really upset right now. Can I take a rain check or come by later?"

"Is she OK?" Mark asked, concerned.

"Yeah, she'll be all right. She's just missing Brian," Roger said. "I found her crying in the bathroom, alone, this morning. I don't want to leave her."

"Oh, man, that's tough. Should we come there?" Mark asked.

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea," Roger said. "We'll call you and meet up with you later, though, OK?"

"OK. Good luck, Roger," Mark said.

"Thanks, man, and Merry Christmas," Roger said.

"Merry Christmas," Mark said, and he and Roger hung up.

* * *

"Mel, can I see you privately for a second?" Roger asked, when they had arrived at Mark's for their Christmas get-together later that day.

"Sure, Roger, what's up?" Melanie asked.

"Upstairs, if we could, please," Roger said.

"Well, OK," Melanie said uncertainly, giving him a look.

She followed him upstairs. They went into Mark's bedroom and he shut the door. Melanie heard a click as he locked it.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, trying to hide her nervousness.

She could see Roger was hiding something behind his back. But he wouldn't show her it, no matter what angle she tried to see it. Then he looked at her.

"I don't want us to be interrupted," he said quietly.

"OK," Melanie said, confused.

"Melanie, it's been almost two years now since we first met, and we've been through so much together," Roger began. "We've been through good times and bad times and we've stood by each other through thick and thin, and…"

He became quiet and Melanie looked up at him. "Roger, what is it?" she asked. "Baby, you're scaring me."

"I guess I should just come right out and say it, huh?" Roger asked her.

"Yeah, you should," Melanie said, nodding.

Roger turned and faced her and suddenly went down on one knee. "This is what I want to ask," he said, producing a small box and opening it to reveal a ring. "Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz, will you do the honors of marrying me?"

The ring was small and had diamond chips in it, but it was all he could afford. It was beautiful.

Melanie's hands flew to her mouth in shock.

"I said I was gonna do it right, and now I am," Roger said, looking up at her. His hands were shaking and he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"I, um… well, I… I dunno, Roger," Melanie said, biting her lip.

There was stunned silence between the two for a few long moments. Roger looked up at her. "Hey, Mel, I'd… kinda like an answer," he said nervously.

Melanie's head was screaming at her to say no, but she didn't want to break Roger's heart again, like she already had.

So, after another moment, she said, "Yes."

Roger looked both surprised and ecstatic. "You will? Really?" he asked.

Melanie nodded. "Yes," she said, her voice stronger this time.

Roger beamed at her and picked her up into his arms. When he set her down, the ring was on her finger. He picked her up and, disregarding entirely that they were in Mark's room, lay down together on the bed and made love.

* * *

"Oh, my God, Mel, what the hell is _that_?" Maureen exclaimed, later that day.

"Shhh, Maureen, keep your voice down," Melanie hissed. She grabbed Maureen's arm and pulled her into another room.

"But is it really what I think it is?" Maureen demanded, as Melanie shut the door.

"It's an engagement ring, Maureen, yes," Melanie said.

"A what? It's a— a— that's…" Maureen stammered. Then she seemed to regain her senses— and her defiance. "You gotta be kidding me."

"No, Mo, I'm not," Melanie said. "We're gonna get married after graduation and then we're gonna move to the city and get jobs while we go to college. It can work out this time, I'm sure of it."

"I hope you are," Maureen said. "I don't want a repeat of history and I know you don't, either. It was hard enough on all of us the first time, especially you and Roger."

Melanie nodded. She wanted so badly for her and Roger to work it out this time.

* * *

"Mom, Dad," Roger said, looking up from eating dinner at the table with his parents that night, "I need to tell you something."

"What is it, Roger?" Mrs. Davis asked.

"I… I proposed to Melanie," Roger said, looking up at them.

Both his parents looked surprised. "You did?" Mr. Davis asked. "When?"

"Well, I gave her a promise ring a year ago," Roger said. "I told her I'd do it right later, but I wasn't sure when. And today was when. I gave her a real ring with diamond chips in it and everything."

"You did?" Mr. Davis asked. "Son, how did you afford this?"

"I took some money out of my college fund," Roger said, "and I've been playing at gigs around town when I can to get a little extra, too." He looked up at them. "Mom, Dad, please don't be mad or anything. I love Melanie. We've been through so much together. It was time for me to do this. It was my own decision to make… _our _own decision to make… because she said yes."

"She did?" Mrs. Davis asked. "Why didn't you tell us before you did this, Roger?"

"I tried, but I just couldn't find words to tell you," Roger said. "Now I've done it, so there's really no turning back. I want to marry her, Mom. And I know she wants to marry me."

Mr. Davis looked at his wife, and then he looked at Roger. "Son, this is a very big decision," he said. "It's even a bigger change than graduation. But more importantly, it's a commitment."

"I know, Dad," Roger said, looking at his father.

"And may I ask you something?" Mr. Davis asked.

Roger looked at him suspiciously. "Sure, Dad," he said.

"You're not just marrying her because of Brianna, in any way, are you?" Mr. Davis asked.

Roger gaped at his father. "No, Dad, I'm not just marrying her because of Brianna. Besides, we had to give Brianna up and she's gone now. 'Why would I be marrying Melanie just for Brianna, when Brianna's no longer in our lives?'" Roger asked, aghast. "How could you ask me something like that? I thought you'd both be happy for Melanie and me."

Mr. Davis nodded. "I'm just making sure, son, that you know there's no way of getting Brianna back," he said.

Roger scowled and nodded stiffly. "I know," he muttered. He rolled his eyes. He didn't see any reason to continue this conversation. At the very least, he had hoped his parents would be happy for him. But he found he'd lost his appetite, so he asked, "May I be excused?"

"Yes, you may," Mrs. Davis said. "Roger, you've barely eaten anything. Are you sick?"

"No, Mom," Roger said, getting up quickly from the table and going upstairs to his room. When he got to his room, flopped onto his bed, and picked up the phone, he muttered, "Only lovesick." By instinct, he dialed Melanie's number.

* * *

"Melanie Elizabeth Schwartz, what is that on your finger?" Mrs. Schwartz asked.

"It's an engagement ring, Mom, see?" Melanie asked. She held up her hand and showed her mother the ring.

"From Roger?" Mrs. Schwartz asked.

"Yeah, of course from Roger, Mom," Melanie said, rolling her eyes.

"When did he give you that?" Mrs. Schwartz asked.

"Well, he gave me one the first time a year ago," Melanie said, "but he said he wanted to do it right with a real ring later, so I just waited. I wanted to tell you, but we were both nervous about whether you'd give him consent or not."

"Melanie, you're not eighteen yet," Mrs. Schwartz said. "He needs to come to me and get consent, like you say."

"Oh, Mom, can't you give it to me to tell him?" Melanie asked. "It would be easier that way."

"No, honey, I'm afraid not," Mrs. Schwartz said. "It doesn't work that way."

Melanie sighed. "But Mom, we're not going to have the wedding until after graduation, so I'd be eighteen then," she said. "Doesn't that sound OK?"

"I'm not sure, Melanie," Mrs. Schwartz said.

"We've been together two years. Isn't that long enough?" Melanie asked. "You and Dad were only together for six months before you got married."

By the look on Mrs. Schwartz's face, Melanie could tell she had unintentionally struck a nerve. "I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't mean it that way," she said. "But you know what I mean, right?"

Mrs. Schwartz nodded. "I know," she said. "Honey, I'll think about it, OK?"

"If Brian was still alive, I'm sure Roger would want to get consent and approval from him, too."

Mrs. Schwartz nodded, tears shining in her eyes at the mere mention of her late son's name. "You're right. I said I'd consider it, OK? Please don't pressure me about it, honey."

Melanie nodded. "OK, Mom, I won't," she promised, going over and hugging her mother.

The phone rang and Melanie ran upstairs to her room to answer it. She got it by the third room. "Roger?" she asked.

"Yeah, baby, it's me," he said. "I told my parents."

"You did?" Melanie asked. "What did they say?"

"Well, I thought they were gonna say they were happy for me, for us," Roger said. "But instead, they asked me if I was only marrying you as a way to get Brianna back and they told me that marriage is a commitment and an even bigger change than graduation."

"Well, Roger, it is," Melanie said. "But I love you and you love me. It's all we have left to do. It was our original plan."

Roger sighed, images of Brianna running through his head again. "I know, I remember," he said.

"I just wish they would just let us do what we want," Melanie said.

"Well, baby, only two more months," Roger said, "then we can do what we want, OK?"

"OK," Melanie said. "So, since Friday night's dinner with both our families and you're going to ask my mom for consent, shouldn't we start planning the wedding?"

"I don't know, baby, I guess so," Roger said. "I'm just as lost as you."

Melanie almost laughed. "We can be lost together," she said.

"Oh yes, we can," Roger said softly, a seductive tone to his voice.

"Roger!" Melanie squealed. She laughed. Roger laughed, too. "I'm going to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

"OK," Roger said. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, baby," Melanie said, and then she hung up.

Roger hung up the phone and walked over to his bed. Flopping down onto it, his mind blanked out. The only thing he thought about was how badly he wanted to be married to Melanie. That was the only thing on Earth he wanted right now.

* * *

"Roger, she knows," Melanie said, when she saw Roger at school the following Monday.

"Who, Mel? Who knows what?" Roger asked, confused.

"My mom saw the ring," Melanie said. "She knows you proposed."

"Oh, she does?" Roger asked. "Why's that bad?" He looked down at her.

"I don't know, maybe because she expects you to get her consent and that makes me nervous?" Melanie said.

Roger looked surprised, but he smiled nevertheless. "Baby, I don't know why you're worried," he said. "I'm not afraid of your mom or anything. I'll get consent from her, it won't be a problem."

Melanie looked up at him as he pulled her close to him. "Are you really sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, baby, I'm sure," Roger said, kissing the top of her head. "Don't you worry your pretty little head over it, OK? My parents are probably more difficult than your mom."

Melanie nodded, inhaling the sweet scent of his cologne. "OK, I won't," she said. She gave him a swift kiss. Then Roger walked her to her next class and they parted ways.

* * *

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Melanie asked Mrs. Schwartz that evening.

"Sure, honey, what is it?" Mrs. Schwartz asked.

"Can the Davis's have dinner with us on Friday night? I think that would be a good way for Roger to be able to ask you for consent and be comfortable with it, since his parents will be there," Melanie asked.

"Sure, honey, if you want," Mrs. Schwartz said.

Melanie was surprised. "Really?" she asked.

Mrs. Schwartz smiled. "Really," she said.

"OK, great," Melanie said, hugging her. "So what should we make? Can you make meatloaf or something?"

"Sure, I can," Mrs. Schwartz said. She looked up at her daughter. "You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mom, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Melanie asked.

"You're right, honey," Mrs. Schwartz said. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Mom. Roger makes me so happy. I really want this to work. We've waited so long for this."

Mrs. Schwartz nodded. "So you have," she said. "Friday night, it is."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, Melanie," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling as Melanie hugged her again and kissed her on the cheek.

* * *

The next day, Melanie ran up to Roger to tell him the good news.

"Hey, baby," he said, smiling happily and kissing her. "Is your mom still giving you trouble?"

"No, not at all; in fact, I asked her if you and your parents could have dinner with us on Friday, and then you could ask her," Melanie replied. "Isn't that great?"

"It's awesome," Roger said, smiling at her. "I'm really excited for the dinner with our families. Are you?"

"I'm more nervous than anything," Melanie admitted, "but yes, I'm excited."

"I don't think you have any reason to be nervous, baby," Roger said. "It's just your parents and my parents and you and me. It's not like we both haven't met each other's parents yet. What's to worry about?"

Melanie considered that for a moment and then she nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Roger," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm just nervous, even though I shouldn't be."

Roger leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "It'll be fine, Mel, you'll see," he said.

Melanie smiled. She could hardly wait.

* * *

Friday night arrived and Melanie waited anxiously for Roger to arrive at her house with his parents. Her mom was just putting the last of the napkins onto the table when the doorbell rang. Melanie immediately reached for the doorknob, but froze, pulled back, waited another couple of seconds, not wanting to seem too eager, and then opened the door.

"Hi, Roger. Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Davis," Melanie said, smiling at them.

"Hi, Melanie," Mr. and Mrs. Davis said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Melanie said. "I'm nervous, but fine."

Mrs. Davis nodded and hugged her. "It'll be fine," she said. "You guys have waited a long time for this and you're almost graduated. It'll be easier since you've waited."

Melanie nodded as all three of them took off their coats. "I hope so," she said. "Come in, please." She turned around, took Roger's hand, and walked into the dining room with his parents. "Mom, they're here."

"Wow," Mrs. Davis said, looking at the food on the table. There was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, rolls, and two pitchers for water and milk. "It looks wonderful, Kali."

"Thank you, Kristin," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling. She looked at Roger and Mr. and Mrs. Davis. "Well, let's all dig in, shall we?"

"But—" Roger began, and everybody looked at him. His hands started to shake and he took a deep breath. "First, before we start eating, I'd like to ask something of you, Mrs. Schwartz."

"OK, Roger, go ahead," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling at him.

Melanie took a deep breath as well, and looked at Roger as he stood up. He looked first at her and then at Mrs. Schwartz. "It's been a year since I first asked Melanie this, and we've been waiting for it for a long time. We've been through so much together, I just want to make it real." He paused for a second. "Mrs. Schwartz, I'm asking for your consent for me to marry Melanie after we graduate."

There was silence from everyone at the table. Roger gulped and went on. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he said, "Melanie and I figured that, if we had the wedding after graduation, she'd be 18 then, so it'd be OK with all of us. But I wanted to do it right. I gave her the real ring before, and I'm asking for your consent now, so please think about it for as long as you need to, and then please give me an answer. We know we don't have much time before June first, but we just want something small in a church... Melanie even suggested getting married on a hilltop... just the two of us, a pastor, and our family and friends." Roger looked over at Melanie and smiled lovingly at her.

Roger nodded and sat down, or else his knees might have given out in the next few long seconds. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Roger," Mrs. Schwartz said.

Roger opened his eyes and looked at her nervously, but he couldn't say anything. He was too anxious.

"Roger, I'm going to say yes," Mrs. Schwartz said. "You've proven to me, through all this, that you're strong enough and capable of standing by Melanie one hundred percent of the time. There was one time you didn't, but when you mess up, you know how to set things right. And so, I'm going to say yes."

Roger beamed at her. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," Mrs. Schwartz said, nodding and smiling at him.

Roger let out a cheer of happiness and took Melanie into his arms and kissed her. Then they both sat back down and ate, chatting animatedly to their parents. They finished eating dinner and then went to watch a movie. Once the movie finished, Roger knew he had to go home with his parents. But in due time, eventually, he would be going home with Melanie for real.

"Thanks so much, Mrs. Schwartz. How will I ever repay you?" Roger asked Mrs. Schwartz, hugging her.

"You don't have to, Roger. Just take care of my little girl," Mrs. Schwartz said.

Roger smiled. "I will, Mrs. Schwartz," he said, standing a little taller and more confidently.

"Thanks so much for the wonderful dinner, Kali," Mrs. Davis said, smiling at her.

"Oh, you are so welcome," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling back at her. "I enjoyed every minute of it."

"Good," Mrs. Schwartz said. "Well, take care. Goodnight."

"You, too," Mrs. Schwartz said, smiling.

"Bye, Roger," Melanie said, smiling at him.

"Bye, Melanie. I love you," Roger said, smiling back at her.

"I love you, too," Melanie said, and she closed the door.

Once the door was closed, Melanie turned around and hugged her mother, squealing. "Oh, Mom, pinch me to prove that really just happened?" she said.

Mrs. Schwartz smiled. "I know you'll be happy with Roger, dear," she said. "You two have waited a long time for this. In all what could have been you two being single-minded to the point of recklessness, you two have kept your cool and your heads on your shoulders and have waited it out. For that, I couldn't say no. Besides, I want to see my little girl get married."

Melanie saw the tears forming in Mrs. Schwartz's eyes. "Oh, Mom," she said, wiping them away, "don't cry. Roger loves me and I love him. I know you want to see me get married. Why are you crying?"

"Oh, I don't know," Mrs. Schwartz said, rolling her eyes. "I guess I was just… hoping, maybe, that… that Brian would have gotten this chance, too."

Melanie nodded. She had figured that was what this was about. "Mom, he would have," she said. Mrs. Schwartz looked down at her. "He really would have. Collins told me the other day that, if Brian hadn't died in that car crash, he would have taken him up to Canada and married him. Collins wanted so badly to spend the rest of his life with Brian. I want you to know that."

Mrs. Schwartz nodded. "I know now," she said, "and I'm glad."

"Good, so stop crying," Melanie teased, smiling at her mother and wiping away her own tears as well.

* * *

Hey, guys. I'm SOOO sorry for the lack of updates. But life has been a little crazy for me lately, and in the next four weeks, it's only going to get crazier! Just in the next three months or so, I have like, 20 different things going on, and at the same time, I'm trying really hard at being a positive influence about keeping my family stable. Rosablasifann08, if there's anything you need me to edit for you, let me know. Don't be afraid to send them to me, because I will find time to edit them somehow, I promise. :)

Just to warn you guys also, two days after I get back from my, unfortunately, very short graduation trip to New York City, I will be starting working six days a week (roughly) at a stable (grooming horses and stuff.) I'm really excited and can't wait and I hope to do my very best, so I can get internship and scholarship incentive. This means, however, that I have no idea at all how much or how little time I will have to write anything or update. Sorry. But I'll still be around and I'll try my best.

That's all from me. I just wanted to let you guys know what I'd be doing in general in the next few months, in case you wait impatiently for updates. Please be understanding with me. This is a very busy time of year for me, always is, and always will be. I'll update again ASAP. Even with all these busy things I'll be doing, I'm not saying I'm quitting fan fiction writing, because frankly, I've said that before and I've always come back. It's become part of my life now for 6, almost 7 years, and I think it will continue into my adulthood. :)

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	9. A Star and Second Thoughts

**Chapter 9**

* * *

"So what are you thinking about for the wedding, for, like, dresses and stuff?" Maureen asked Melanie, a few days later.

"Oh," Melanie said, caught off-guard, "I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it lately. I've been too busy."

"You haven't?" Maureen asked. She noticed Melanie seemed to want to avoid the subject. "Don't you think you should be, though? I mean, it's the middle of March. You've only got until like, May thirty-first."

"I know, Maureen, I know, OK?" Melanie said irritably, turning away from her. "I've been trying to think about it, but I've just got too much damn stuff going on. Graduation and scholarships and financial aid and college entrance stuff and everything but the wedding has lately been taking a front row seat to it. They're my priorities right now, especially so my mom will quit harassing me about"— she made a quoting gesture with her index and middle fingers— "'not letting the wedding get to my head and blowing everything else off'. Besides, Roger and I have been working really hard on our Regionals duet, since it's only like, two weeks away. And it's at NYU, you know. Even with Collins there, I don't know if I'll be able to handle seeing the last place my brother was before he died, even though it's been a year."

Maureen nodded, even though she knew Melanie was exaggerating. "You can think about it, though," she said. "By the way you sound, I know you'd be happy with something simple, even if it's just your friends witnessing the ceremony in a church or something, with no other guests."

Melanie nodded. "I have been imagining Roger and me getting married on a hilltop," she admitted.

Maureen smiled at the mental image. "See? It's not so hard. All you have to do is decide what color dresses you want. It'll be black tux or not, depending what you and Roger agree on. I know Roger will go through denim withdrawal if you do tuxes." Melanie nodded. "And you don't need invitations or anything, because you really only want us from Scarsdale that you know to come to the wedding, right?"

Melanie nodded. "Yes," she said, "save for three."

"Who?" Maureen asked.

"I want to send Benny and Alison and Collins an invitation," Melanie said, "especially Collins."

Maureen nodded, although she seemed irritated. "OK," she said, "it's up to you. I don't like Alison, but you might. And Collins wouldn't miss it for the world, except you haven't told him yet, have you?"

"I don't remember, honestly," Melanie said. "I'm going to call him after school today."

"OK, that's a good idea," Maureen said. "He'll listen to what you have to say—"

"And you aren't?" Melanie teased, sticking her tongue out at Maureen.

"— and he'll have more advice to offer than I do," Maureen finished, rolling her eyes.

Melanie grinned. "OK, I'll talk to him," she said. "Then I need to talk to my mom and Roger and the others about all this, too. I think I'm going to need help."

Maureen hugged her. "We're here for you, Mel," she said. "You don't have to do this alone."

Melanie smiled and hugged Maureen back. "Thanks, Mo," she said. She went quiet for a moment again, and then she looked at Maureen. "Hey, why isn't Collins a guidance counselor?"

After a moment, Maureen suddenly laughed.

Melanie looked at her, confused. "What?" she asked.

"He hates people; I mean, sometimes…" Maureen said. It was hardly an explanation.

"So why's he becoming a teacher?" Melanie asked.

"So he can fill their heads with his anarchistic theories of actual reality, in hopes they'll become like him," Maureen said. She smiled fondly. "And I salute him all the way."

Melanie nodded and then she was quiet. Maureen noticed this. "Mel, you OK?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, not looking at Maureen.

"Mel," Maureen said, something occurring to her, "is Roger forcing you to marry him?"

Melanie didn't answer her.

* * *

A little while later, Melanie called Collins. She needed to hear his voice and maybe get some advice from him, too.

"Hey, Baby girl," he said, when he picked up the phone, "how are you doing?"

"I'm tired, Collins, and really lost," Melanie said.

"Are you OK?" Collins asked. "Can I help at all?"

"I'm just really overwhelmed right now about school and the wedding and everything," Melanie began, but Collins interrupted her.

"Wait, what? A wedding? When? Where? Whose?" he asked.

"Yes, a wedding, in Scarsdale, around June first, and… mine," Melanie said quietly.

"Are you kidding? Roger proposed?" Collins asked eagerly.

"Yes, he did, originally a year ago. But he said he wanted to do it right, with a real ring, and now he has," Melanie said. "I thought I'd told you?"

"No, you hadn't," Collins said. "Baby girl, I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Collins," Melanie said, smiling weakly. "We've wanted to do this for over a year now."

There was a pause. Then Collins said, "But you're hesitant."

"Yes, I am," Melanie said.

"Why, Baby girl?" Collins asked. "Is your mom or Roger driving you nuts?"

"No," Melanie said, "not really. Roger's been really quiet about it, actually, which surprises me, but I'm thankful at the same time. I think he realizes and respects that school comes first for both of us, and that, once we're graduated, we can do anything we want."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Collins said. "So you said yes?"

"Yes, I said yes," Melanie said.

"What are you lost about, Baby girl?" Collins asked.

"I'm confused because I want to start thinking about the wedding and everything involved with it, but when I do, I get honestly scared," Melanie admitted. "I want to do something simple, but at the same time, I want it to be amazing, you know?"

"I know," Collins said. "Mel, can I confide in you?"

"Of course you can, Collins," Melanie said.

"I just wanted you to know that, if he was still alive, I would have gone to Canada and married your brother," Collins said.

Melanie inhaled a breath of surprise before she suddenly choked up. "R-really?" she asked.

"Yep," Collins said. "I— I just wanted you to know that. I loved him so much. I could imagine myself spending the rest of my life with him."

Melanie wiped away the tears that had appeared in her eyes. "Wow, Collins," she said. "Thank you. Thank you so much… for telling me that. It means more to me than you know."

"Of course, Baby girl," Collins said.

"Mel, why don't you talk to Roger and your mom and see if they have any suggestions, and see what Roger says?" Collins asked.

"OK," Melanie said, "I'll have Roger come over tonight and we can talk over dinner or something."

"OK, that sounds like a great idea, Baby girl," Collins said.

"Well, of course you think it is, it was your idea," Melanie said, laughing.

Collins laughed. "It was, wasn't it?" he teased. "Good luck, Baby girl."

"Thanks, Collins. You helped a lot," Melanie said. "Bye, Collins."

"Bye, Baby girl," Collins said, and then he hung up.

* * *

Three weeks later…

Melanie leaned against Roger and fell asleep, after they had loaded the bus to go to Regionals. They were going to the city, but still had gotten up early to leave, since some of their classmates sang as early as 8:30 a.m.

Roger gently shook Melanie awake when the bus stopped at New York University, their destination for their judged performances today. If they starred at Regionals, they would go onto State competition, which was being held at the same place two weeks later.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he said, "time to get up."

Melanie opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Mm, already?" she asked.

Roger nodded. "Yep," he said. "We're here."

Melanie sat up and immediately dove to get her backpack, which had stuff in it she would need today, and then she stood up and walked off the bus with Roger. When she stepped off the bus and realized where they were, she froze.

"Mel, you OK?" Roger asked, looking at her. She had suddenly stopped walking and was shaking badly and pale. "Mel, what's wrong?"

"Roger, do you… do you realize… where we are?" Melanie stammered.

"Yeah, we're at NYU, where we're gonna be singing today," Roger said. "I don't remember, but I think Collins is gonna be a judge, if he has his way."

"Yes, I know that, but…" Melanie's voice trailed off.

"Hey, you two, let's move!" Mr. Shepard called out to them, since they were the last ones in the group. He came over to them. "Are you guys coming?"

"Yes, Mr. Shepard," Roger said, looking at him, slightly annoyed. He knew why Melanie was acting like this. It had been the last place Brian had been seen alive. But there wasn't much he could do to help, except wait until the panic attack was over.

"Melanie, are you going to be OK?" Mr. Shepard asked.

Melanie nodded, but didn't look at him. Mr. Shepard looked at Roger. "Do you have any idea what's wrong?" he asked.

Roger nodded. "She's just overwhelmed," he said. Mr. Shepard looked confused. "Like, a year and a half ago, this is the last place anyone saw her big brother alive before he died in a car crash with another friend of ours. They both attended school here. Collins still does."

Mr. Shepard's eyes widened and he nodded. "Oh," he said, "I didn't know. I'm sorry, Melanie. Come whenever you're ready, OK?"

Melanie nodded. She couldn't say anything.

It was a long couple of minutes before Melanie spoke. "Roger," she said.

Roger looked down at her. "I'm here, Mel," he said. "It's OK. I'm here."

Melanie started walking and he walked right beside her. "Roger, about that," she said, when they reached the building, "I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd react like that."

"It's not your fault," Roger said. "I should have guessed or something."

Melanie nodded. "Can we just go, please?" she asked.

"Sure, baby," Roger said, putting his arm around her waist, and they went over and met up with the group.

"Are you gonna be OK to perform, dear?" Mr. Shepard asked, concerned.

Melanie nodded. "I think so," she said. "I'll live."

Mr. Shepard nodded. "OK; drink lots of water and just chill when you need to, OK?"

"OK," Melanie said, nodding.

* * *

When they weren't watching their classmates sing solos or ensembles, Roger and Melanie chilled with Mark, Maureen, and the others in a chosen area on campus. Melanie was feeling better and more comfortable with the New York University campus, now that she'd been here a few hours.

Finally, after lots of boring downtime, lunch, and a nap, 1:15 P.M. came and it was time for Melanie to sing her solo. She was singing "The Black Swan" from the opera, "The Medium".

When the judge gave her a signal she was ready, Melanie introduced her piece and began to sing.

"Hi," she said nervously, "I'm Melanie Schwartz and I'm going to be singing 'The Black Swan', from the opera, 'The Medium', by Menotti."

_The sun has fallen and it lies in blood  
The moon is weaving bandages of gold  
Oh, black swan  
Where, oh, where is my lover gone?  
Torn and tattered is my bridal gown  
And my lamp is lost  
And my lamp is lost_

Melanie felt herself getting into her character, and her mind seemed to almost numb as a result of the sad song. She knew being so into her character would help, so she sang on.

_With silver needles and with silver thread  
The stars stitch a shroud for the dying sun  
Oh, black swan, where, oh, where has my lover gone?  
I had given him a kiss of fire  
And a golden ring  
And a golden ring_

_Don't you hear your lover moan?  
Eyes of glass and feet of stone  
Shells for teeth and weeds for tongue  
Deep, deep down in the river's bed  
He's looking for the ring  
Eyes wide open, never asleep  
He's looking for the ring  
Looking for the ring_

Melanie looked at Roger just before she continued onto the next verse and got shivers down her spine. It was almost uncanny how well they both related to the song in a way.

_The spools unravel and the needles break  
The sun is buried and the stars weep  
Oh, black wave, oh, black wave  
Take me away with you  
I will share with you my golden hair  
And my bridal crown  
And my bridal crown_

_Oh, take me down with you  
Take me down to my wandering lover_

She looked at Roger and didn't take her eyes off him as she sang the last two phrases and hit the sustained high G effortlessly, warming the note with her vibratto.

_With my child unborn  
With my child unborn_

She came to an end and closed her eyes, almost feeling the pain the mother had felt in losing her child, which was what the song was about. Melanie knew she, in a sense, could relate.

As her director played the last chilling chords and the song ended, Melanie opened her eyes and watched her judge. Her judge was writing something on the judging sheet.

A minute or so later, the judge looked up and smiled at her. She indicated for Melanie to come over and sit in a chair next to her. Melanie did and the judge spoke to her for a few minutes. The judge was very pleased at how well prepared Melanie's solo was.

"I can see how much work you've put into it," she said.

"Thank you," Melanie said, smiling at her. "I've enjoyed working on it."

"Can you tell me what the song is about?" the judge asked.

Melanie nodded. "It's about a woman who, while drunk at a party with her friends and two maids, goes into a trancelike state; while in this trance, she 'communicates' with her dead son. Her other, younger son, who is alive, comes over to her and she suddenly goes berserk, attacking him and blaming him for murdering her older son, when the death really had been a… a tragic accident. But he had been in the other room the entire time and was never even near her when she had this 'conversation' with her dead son. He is obviously distraught at her attacking him, and she sings this as a lullaby to calm him."

Melanie glanced over at Mr. Shepard, still sitting at the piano. He was smiling. She'd obviously gotten it right.

"That's right," the judge said. "Well, Melanie, you know your song's story well, the notes are all there, the intonation and dynamics are wonderful, and your words are clear. Very good, very good."

"Thank you," Melanie said, smiling, and she went to sit next to Roger. She whispered to him, "Can we get out of here and go talk?"

Roger nodded. "Sure," he whispered back. He knew she wanted to go somewhere where she could freak out about her solo and how she felt about it and not get into any trouble.

They walked out of the room and went back to their designated area and sat down. Melanie sighed deeply and finally let out the nervousness she'd been holding in.

"Oh, my God," she said, "I was so nervous! But at the same time, I can't think of anything the judge might have docked me for, can you?" She looked at Roger.

Roger shook his head. "Nope," he said.

"Are you sure? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?" Melanie asked.

"Baby, why would I say that just to make you feel better?" Roger asked, looking down at her. "I'm not like that." He smiled.

Melanie smiled. "You're right," she said. "But oh, my God, I was so nervous!"

"Yeah, I know," Roger said, "but you were great. Can't you tell the judge wanted to adopt you?"

Melanie laughed. "Yes, I could tell," she said. "Well, now we have an hour until our duet, and then our large group is at three, and then eventually, we go home."

Roger nodded and kissed her on the top of her head. "Yep," he said. "I can't wait."

"Me either; especially for our results, once we get back to the bus!" Melanie said enthusiastically. Roger smiled.

* * *

Later that day, Melanie and Roger and their classmates were sitting on the bus, waiting anxiously for Mr. Shepard to come back to the bus with the results. Melanie and Roger discussed what they thought they got with their classmates while they waited.

Finally, Mr. Shepard came back. "Results," he called out, and everybody quieted down. He looked at all of them for a long moment, heightening the suspense. Then he said seriously, "There were no threes or 'Fairs'."

The sigh from everyone on the bus was audible. Mr. Stephens smiled and went on with the list. "Receiving two or 'Good'," he said, and he went through the recipients on the list. "Receiving one or 'Excellent'," he said, and he went through the recipients on the list for that score.

Melanie turned and looked at Roger. She hadn't heard their duet or her solo yet. "Do you know what this means?" she hissed at him eagerly.

Roger grinned. "I sure do," he said, and he hugged her close, as Mr. Shepard came to the Stars.

"Receiving Stars," he said, and he went through the list. Finally, he said, "'Papageno' and 'The Black Swan.'"

Melanie cheered and hugged Roger close. Mr. Shepard wasn't finished, however.

"Congratulations to all of you. I think having nine Stars that are going to go onto State competition is great. You all worked hard on your solos, duets, and ensembles. Good job, everybody. Now we can all go home and celebrate."

Melanie rolled her eyes and laughed. She looked at Roger. "Roger, I can't believe we both starred!" she said.

Roger smiled. "Well, you were kick-ass with your solo, baby," he said. "You totally deserve it."

"I think I was even more scared to do our duet," Melanie admitted.

Roger nodded. "Understandable," he said. "It's just a shame we couldn't do our large group. We were so ready for that."

Melanie sighed. "Yeah," she said grimly. Maureen had gotten a Minor in Consumption the previous weekend and hadn't been allowed to perform. Now she wasn't allowed to go to prom, among other things, like not being allowed to participate in the senior one act plays. She had blown her senior year. Melanie and Roger had been angry with her for a few days, but they were over it now. She was going on with life as usual, although they knew she was bummed that she couldn't attend anything or be part of her clubs until she became eligible again, just in time for their senior banquet.

Melanie leaned against Roger and was quiet. She was thinking about the day's events and she was also really tired. She didn't realize she'd fallen asleep until she woke up when they'd arrived home that evening.

Roger and Melanie were the last ones to get off the bus. While their classmates and Mr. Shepard went inside the school to get their things they'd left behind, they walked to Roger's car. They'd taken everything with them on the bus and didn't have to pick anything up.

Once they got on the bus, Roger kissed Melanie. "Congratulations on your Star," he said. He smiled. "You're my star."

Melanie smiled. "Thanks, same to you," she said, looking over at him. He dropped her off at home and only then did she realize she'd forgotten to talk to him about the wedding and her having second thoughts.

* * *

After school the next day, Melanie met up with Roger to talk to him, like she'd told Collins she would.

"Hey, baby, what's up?" Roger asked. "You look stressed."

Melanie looked up at him. "I am," she admitted.

"What about?" he asked.

"The wedding and everything to it," Melanie answered. "Oh yeah, and graduation, too."

"Aw, I'm sorry, baby," Roger said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really," Melanie said, "but thanks."

"What's to worry about graduation, though?" Roger asked her. "All we need to do is walk across the stage, get our piece of paper, and run. Then we can go to the lake and get drunk with Collins. He's reserving special stuff for us."

Melanie smiled.

"You are really excited to leave Scarsdale, aren't you?" she asked him.

"Hell yes," Roger said. "It's got the word 'scar' in it for a reason."

Melanie nodded grimly. "I guess you're right," she said. "You're not going to miss it at all?"

"Well, maybe my parents, but that's it. You and I aren't the only ones leaving, either, you know. Maureen and Mark are gonna move in with Collins in the city; Benny, too."

"And you're not?" Melanie asked.

"Why would I choose that over my future bride?" Roger asked her.

Melanie shrugged. "I don't know," she said, "maybe think of all the opportunities you'll miss to spend with them, by being with me so much?"

"Yeah, a lot of drinking, sex, and stupid filming," Roger said. "I think I can handle the withdrawal."

"What withdrawal?" Melanie asked, smiling at him.

"Exactly," Roger said, smiling back at her.

Melanie hugged him. "I think I'll be fine wherever we end up," she said.

"I know you will," Roger said. "Besides, think of it this way; if you think _you're_ going crazy, look at Mo."

Melanie got a mental image in her head. "I get it now," she said. She looked up at him. "I love you, Roger."

"I love you, too, Melanie."

* * *

_Three and a half months later…_

"Benjamin Coffin, the Third," said the principal.

As Benny walked across the stage to receive his diploma, the others booed at him playfully from offstage. He scowled at them as he joined the A's, B's, and some of the C's on the other side.

"Roger Davis."

Roger kissed Melanie happily before going across the stage, amongst many cheers from the audience, to receive his diploma.

"Maureen Johnson."

Maureen squealed in true Maureen-like fashion and hugged Melanie happily before she walked all too quickly across the stage to get her diploma.

Eventually, the principal reached the S's. Melanie was one of the first ones.

"Melanie Schwartz."

Melanie jumped and walked across the stage. She glanced at the audience and saw her mother, crying, next to Collins, and Roger's parents. She blushed, waved quickly at Collins and the others, and received her diploma from the principal. Then she joined her friends in a celebration chant offstage left.

Roger pulled Melanie close to him and whispered, "Only five more days, then we'll be husband and wife for real."

"Yeah, for real," Melanie said quietly, looking up at him wearily.

"Are you happy, Mel?" Roger asked.

"Yes," Melanie answered.

"Good," Roger said. "Now come on, everyone's done and Collins is waiting with our parents."

Melanie nodded and followed him into the audience. When she saw Collins, she beamed and ran over to him. "Collins, you're here!" she squealed.

"Yep, sure am," Collins said, smiling down at her. "Congratulations, Baby girl. Are you happy it's all over?"

"Am I ever!" Melanie said. "I can't wait for Saturday."

Collins smiled. "But hey, you said hi to me before your dear ole mom, so get over there and hug her, too, all right?" he said, smiling at her.

"OK," Melanie said, beaming at him, and she walked over to hug her mother.

"I'm so proud of you, honey," Mrs. Schwartz said, looking down at her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," Melanie said.

"Brian would have been… so proud, you know," Mrs. Schwartz said, tears forming in her eyes.

"I know, Mom," Melanie said, wiping away her mother's tears. "But he's here, you know. He's watching all of us."

Mrs. Schwartz nodded. "I know," she said.

"I love you, Mom," Melanie said, smiling and hugging her mother.

"I love you, too, sweetie, so much," Mrs. Schwartz said, holding her daughter close.

* * *

This is the end of chapter 9. Sorry if it's too long (my Microsoft Word document says it's 15 pages.) But I got inspiration lately and found that I just couldn't stop writing. When I wasn't reading or doing anything else, I was writing. Not even kidding. It was great. But I couldn't force it; it all had to come on its own.

Chapter 10, which, so far, is 10 pages and not finished, will be posted up ASAP. Please be patient with me while waiting for updates. I'm thinking about somehow leading this up to pre RENT, but I don't know what I'd write for that yet. I'm thinking, I promise. :)

The end of the school year, and high school, period, is only 13 school days away from today, and two days after that is graduation. Then I start my summer job training at 8 a.m. the morning after graduation (I'm pretty nervous about it, since I have yet no idea what I'll be _doing_ at the stables I'll be working at) and I go to New York City with my mom from the 29th to June 1st or 2nd. I'm not yet sure when we're going to see Wicked (I'll have to check the tickets), but RENT is May 30th at 8 P.M.! I'm pretty darn excited. :) Then I fly back and start working probably six days a week at the stables, and then I'll be in college. Wow, time sure does fly!

I am THINKING about writing a sequel to this, but I have NO idea at all when I'll have time in the next six months. Maybe this summer, since I will have computer access, but I have no idea what kind of time I'll have. Sorry. No promises.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter (and my long author notes, as usual.) As always, don't forget to review. I love feedback. It keeps me going. Thanks.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07

P.S. Quick note to Rosablasifann08 (and whoever else, I guess): I've now deleted Waiting for You, but I have it backed up in my documents, in case I ever want to use parts of it for a future story. Just wanted to let you know. This means Deviant Beauty does not have a sequel, and probably will not, the way I see it, as much as I hated what I wrote for the original sequel. I'm leaving it up to your guys' imaginations to think of what happens to Roger, Shay, Noah, and Lily after Roger officially adopts Noah. I hope that's OK. :)


	10. Delirious

I think you guys can guess which apartment Collins is renting (since nobody seemed to venture one last time I brought it into the story.)

Sorry it took so long to finish this, but I've been really busy with graduation and seeing all my family and all that jazz. And right after graduation (literally, the next day), I went to start my new summer job, which is still not set in stone for the summer. But even though it's hard labor (grounds crew), it's outside, so I think it'll be satisfactory until the end of the summer. Plus, I'm working evenings at concessions and such, so… Yeah, I've been super busy, basically only working. I haven't even seen any of my high school friends or done anything besides work for almost a month now. It's kind of sad, actually, but I try not to think about it too much.

Anyway, thanks so much for being patient with waiting for updates. Here's chapter 10. I realize it's been a long time since chapter 9 was originally posted. I know this chapter is longer than usual, but hopefully, that will make up for the time it took me to update. It's pretty intense, but enjoy.

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_Four days later…_

On May 31st, the night before the wedding, Melanie lay awake next to Roger in her room. She was feeling slightly sick, and she was so nervous, her mind wouldn't stop racing. It was also pouring rain outside. Normally, Melanie loved storms like this, but tonight, the thunder was keeping her awake.

Melanie rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand: 11:30. In less than twelve hours, she would be Roger's wife. Everyone was hoping it would stop raining before the ceremony in the morning.

She pushed the covers away and slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Roger. Once out of bed, she paused for a moment and listened for any signs that he had awoken. But he slept on.

Melanie padded softly down the stairs and put a coat on over her nightgown. As she pulled open the front door, she flinched; she'd forgotten it squeaked. She opened it just wide enough to squeeze through and stepped outside.

Melanie shivered, but not from the cold. She wasn't truly ready to marry Roger and she knew it. They'd waited a long time for the opportunity, yes, but in the end, they both had to admit they had done things backwards by accidentally getting Melanie pregnant with Brianna before they got married.

She wanted to tell Roger this, but she couldn't find the courage. She didn't want to break his heart again.

_So I won't do it, _Melanie thought to herself. _I just won't show up today._

_Your mother will kill you_, her subconscience said to her.

_What can she do? I'm eighteen; to do it or not do it is my decision, not hers. And for a long time, she was hesitant about giving Roger consent anyway. Neither of them can force me to do or not do this._

You're right about that. But what about Roger and everybody who will be at the ceremony and all the money they've spent on the wedding?

_We've barely spent any money; we're only hiring a pastor and having witnesses. And I'll leave a note with… someone._

_Then you're just going to walk out of Roger's life, just like that?_

_Yes._

_Where will you go?_

That one was easy. _Collins' place for a while, _Melanie thought, _at least until I can find a job and get a place of my own._

_It is not gonna be that easy, you know that. Are you still going to go to NYU?_

_Yes, but I have to make Collins swear not to tell them where I am. Since I'm leaving, I don't want to see Roger until I absolutely have to._

_Then just don't leave. This isn't a good idea._

_I'm not asking you._

At that point, the battle with her subconscience ended and she sat down on the porch steps. She was in too deep now. She had to do it before she regretted it forever.

She went back inside, went upstairs, and entered her room. Roger stirred and awoke.

"Hey, baby, haven't you slept yet?" he asked.

Melanie shook her head. "No."

"Nervous?" he asked, as she went over and sat on the bed.

Melanie looked at him, surprised. Roger read her so well. She hoped her face wasn't betraying her secret. "Yeah," she said, looking at his chest rather than his face.

"Well, don't be, OK? It'll be great," Roger said. "We've been waiting for this for a long time."

Melanie nodded. "Go back to sleep," she whispered, gently pushing his hair back away from his face.

Roger nodded silently and closed his eyes. Within thirty seconds, she heard him snoring, once again asleep. She slowly opened her dresser drawer, pulled out a change of clothes, and dressed in complete silence. Then she went to the bathroom across the hall and gathered a toiletry bag full of necessities.

She went downstairs to the kitchen and opened a jar on the counter. Inside was about 300 her mother had saved over the past few months. She took all of it and put it in her money clip, which she then put in her purse.

She was only going to Collins' place. She couldn't think of anything else she needed to take. If she needed something, she could always come back when Roger wasn't around. Roger was only around today because it was their wedding day. Otherwise, Roger and Melanie hardly spent a night together, by their parents' rules. They had to get a place of their own first.

Melanie double-checked that everything she felt she needed was in the bag and she put her coat on. Then she stepped out into the darkness with no intention of ever returning.

* * *

About half an hour later, the cab arrived at East Village, where Collins' flat was. The alley was dark, but cars were parked along the curb that ran the length of the street, so Melanie guessed she was OK.

"It doesn't look like anyone's home," the cab driver said, looking from the loft to Melanie.

"They're probably out looking for me," Melanie said.

"Are you in trouble or something?" the driver asked.

"Not yet," Melanie said quietly. She looked at the driver. "Thank you for the ride."

She got out of the car and handed him money through the passenger-side window.

"You got a key, honey?" the driver asked, taking the money from her.

"Um, no, but I'll figure something out," Melanie said, shrugging.

"OK, well, I'll stay here until you get in, OK?" the driver asked her.

"OK, thank you. I'll be fine," Melanie said.

She walked away from the cab toward the loft. Reaching up, with some difficulty, she pulled down the fire escape stairs and climbed them. She went up to the window and pulled down on the latch. It opened. She turned around and waved the cab driver off. Then she went inside.

It didn't truly sink into her, what she'd just done, until she sat down on a lump, uncomfortable couch in the living room area. But as she looked around at the cold, empty, open room— in the middle of which a wood-burning stove rested— the tears ensued and she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"What the hell?"

Melanie woke up to a calm, deep voice. She opened her eyes and saw Collins standing over her.

"Hi," she said, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Well, if it isn't the runaway bride," Collins said, sitting next to her on the couch. "Mind telling me what's going on? You just left Roger cold-footed on the altar."

"I know," Melanie said. Of course, only Collins wouldn't just immediately start assuming things and chewing her out. Only Collins was calm and collected about these things. Only he would just want to know what's going on and then probably try and help.

"Why, Baby girl?" Collins asked. "I thought you loved him? Everyone's wondering what happened to you. Your mom fears the worst."

"I know I love him," Melanie said. "But I can't marry him. I'm not mature enough for something like that. I realized last minute that I wasn't ready for such a commitment."

"But you didn't tell anyone anything?" Collins asked.

"I left a note at my house," Melanie said. "I dunno if she's discovered it yet."

Collins shook his head and looked down at her. He was surprised how cold she was being. "I dunno about you, Baby girl," he said.

"Look, it's my decision, OK?" Melanie said, sitting up quickly. Her head spun and she put a hand to it to steady herself as she stood up. Collins helped her sit up. "I know I could have told him, but I don't want to. I wanted to… go quietly… but I fell asleep here."

"Baby girl, we gotta tell everybody you're OK," Collins argued.

"No, Collins," Melanie said stubbornly. "I don't want to be found."

"So why did you come here?" Collins demanded. "The only reason everybody else didn't come here looking for you— because they had a hunch you would come here— is because I told them not to; that I'd talk to you for them. Their guess was right, obviously."

Melanie shrugged. "Then talk to me. I was hoping you'd give me a place to stay, until I can figure out what to do."

Collins was silent, still stunned.

"I'm not going back to Scarsdale," Melanie said firmly, walking away from him.

Collins didn't know what to say. The great philosopher- and teacher-in-training had been silenced by a girl almost five years his junior. Melanie had good reasoning behind her decision, so he essentially was powerless to stop her.

"And if you try and make me go back or talk to him or anything," Melanie said, going over to one of the bedroom doors, "I'll leave myself."

Before Collins could reply, she walked into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Collins stood in silence for a moment. Then he sank into a chair and put his head in his hands, lost as to what to do.

A few minutes later, he jumped when the phone rang. He scrambled up to his feet to answer it. "Hello?"

"Collins, is she there?" Roger demanded.

Collins sighed and closed his eyes.

"Collins, dammit, tell me, _is she there_?" Roger growled.

"Yes, Roger, she's here," Collins answered, lowering his voice.

"Well, put her on the phone," Roger yelled.

"I can't, Rog," Collins said, leaning away from the phone. He could still hear Roger yelling.

"Why the hell not?"

"She shut herself in one of the rooms here a few minutes ago and hasn't come out. And I'm not gonna make her."

"Well, fine," Roger relented angrily. "But ask her what the fuck—"

"Mind your mouth," Collins snapped.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Roger snarled.

"I'm not asking her anything," Collins argued firmly. "This is your problem; it's between the two of you. I'm not being the messenger boy and I'm not taking sides, because I care too much for both of you."

"Then I'm coming there."

"No."

"Why not; it's a half-hour drive?"

"She said if you show up, she knows you'll give her shit and she'll leave for good before you even get here."

"Not if she doesn't know when I leave. She can't know that if you don't tell her."

"And before you ask," Collins interrupted, "I don't know where she's going, so don't even go there."

"Fine; just stall her as long as you can," Roger said, and he hung up abruptly.

Collins slammed down the phone angrily. Roger just wasn't listening and Collins was tired of arguing.

When he turned around, he gasped. Melanie was standing in the doorway of her room, staring at him. Tears were glistening in her eyes.

"Collins, what are you trying to do?" she sobbed. "I thought you were trying to help me?"

"Baby girl…" Collins said nervously, looking at her. "I told him not to come if you don't want him to, but I can't make him listen… It's up to him."

Melanie nodded and walked away. She grabbed her bag, which still had everything in it; she hadn't yet unpacked.

"What're you doing?" Collins asked, looking over at her.

"I'm leaving," Melanie said.

"Don't be stupid, Baby girl," Collins said. "I'm not just gonna let you walk out like this. You know what this city is like out there for a young, pretty girl like you? There are lots of maniacs who would do all sorts of things to you without stopping and thinking."

"I can take care of myself," Melanie said.

"Melanie, you know how much I loved your brother, right?" Collins asked. Melanie nodded. "Look, it wasn't recently, but it feels like only yesterday I lost your brother. It all happened so fast, I hardly had time to grieve for him. Everyone thinks I got over it, but I really didn't. I haven't. It'll take me a long time to get over it. _You _lost your brother, too; why can't you think of him right now, and what he would say if he were watching you?"

"My brother's dead!" Melanie snapped. "He can't watch me anymore. And I grew tired of him always hovering over me, making sure I was OK, when he was alive. I didn't need a babysitter."

Collins' eyes widened in shock; he never would have imagined Melanie would say things like this about Brian. "Melanie, he loved you and wanted to protect you," he said. "I made him a promise, you know. After he died, I spoke to him and I made him a promise. I promised that, since I had failed to take care of him to the best of my ability, I would do so for you in his stead. And I mean to keep that promise."

"It doesn't matter. If Roger is coming for me, then I told you, I'm not staying and waiting around for him to come and try to convince me to go back," Melanie said. "I don't care what he wants and I don't want to listen to what he has to say. This is my decision and you're only making it worse."

"Baby girl, he's just worried he did something wrong. You know Roger; he always blames himself for anything that goes wrong in the slightest," Collins said. "He won't try to force you to go back. But eh cares too much for you to let you go without a fight."

Melanie shook her head. As a result, her head spun. She put a hand to her head, and after a moment, steadied herself.

Before Melanie could protest, Collins put a gentle hand to her forehead. "Baby girl, you're sick," he said. "You need to go lie down and rest."

"No," Melanie said, turning away from him. "I just need to go for a walk and get some fresh air."

"Then I'm going with you," Collins insisted.

"No, Collins," Melanie pleaded, shaking her head. "I'll be fine. Please, just leave me alone. I just need to think."

As hard as he had tried to change her mind, Collins knew he couldn't argue with her anymore. Respecting her wishes, as he knew he had to, Collins could only watch as she turned and walked out the door.

* * *

Melanie didn't know where she was going. Her feet just took her somewhere. It quickly got dark and started to rain heavily. She soon found herself soaking wet, cold, lost, and very confused.

A man dressed in black, wearing a facemask, came out of the nearby alleyway. Before Melanie knew what was happening, he knocked her to the ground. There, he gagged her, ripped off her jeans, and raped her. Melanie was too weak and sick to fight back.

Then he stood up and left her lying there, stunned.

After several minutes, Melanie staggered to her feet. But she swooned and passed out and collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Melanie didn't know how much time lapsed. But she jerked to consciousness to a crack of thunder and strong arms holding her. She cringed for a moment, afraid the attacker had come back, but then she heard a familiar voice and relaxed.

"Oh, my God, baby, what happened to you?" Roger's voice asked. He sounded terrified.

"Roger…" Melanie croaked. Her voice was barely working. "He… he…"

"I know, baby. I…" Roger began. His voice trailed off. "Just be quiet, OK? I'm taking you back to Collins' place."

Roger gently wrapped his jacket around her, picked her up bride-style, and carried her all the way back to Collins' apartment. He climbed the stairs in the dark, with her in his arms, and managed to slide the door open with one foot.

"Collins, I found her!" he yelled.

Collins came rushing over. "Put her on the couch," he said.

Roger gently set Melanie on the couch. "What do we do?" he asked, looking up at Collins.

"She's burning up," Collins said. "I've got some aspirin in my bathroom cabinet. Maybe she'll take some to reduce the fever."

Collins quickly went into the bathroom and got two aspirin. "Melanie, please take this; it's aspirin," he said, gently stroking her hair.

Melanie opened her mouth and Collins put the two pills in her mouth. She opened her mouth again and he slowly poured a bit of water into her mouth, so she could swallow the pills. Melanie coughed for a second, but managed to swallow the pills. Then she was quiet, her eyes still closed.

"Collins," Roger said, looking up at him, terrified, "I think she was raped."

Collins nodded. "I think so, too," he said quietly.

"Collins, it wasn't her fault," Roger cried.

"Of course it wasn't," Collins said, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, she seems really messed up right now."

"You mean mentally?"

"Yes, and physically; we can't let her leave again while she's like this. She has to get better first."

"Well, what do we do?" Roger asked frantically.

"There's not much we can do until she gets better," Collins said. "We have to help her get better first." He looked at Roger. "Roger, call Maureen; if she can get here, she can help."

"OK," Roger said, and he stumbled over to the phone. He quickly dialed her number and plunged into explanation when Maureen picked up. "Maureen, we found Melanie… You gotta come over… She's in bad shape… OK, see you in half an hour."

Roger hung up and looked at Collins again. "She's on her way," he said.

"Good," Collins said. "I'm calling 911 to see if we can get an ambulance here or something."

"OK," Roger said.

But when Collins picked up the phone, he didn't even have a dial-tone. "Goddamn it," he snarled, looking at Roger, "the phone lines must be out from the storm. Man, I've never seen it rain this hard. Visibility is probably really bad. We can't reach anybody now and no one can reach us."

"Oh no," Roger said, shaking his head.

"I bet Maureen will bring Melanie's mom with her when she comes," Collins said. "Let's just do what we can until they get here and we'll see how much they can help."

"OK," Roger said. He wasn't going to argue anymore.

"Roger, go get four washcloths from the bathroom, wet them down with cold water— but not too cold— and bring them to me," Collins said.

Roger ran into the bathroom, quickly wet down the washcloths, and brought them to Collins. Collins wrapped one around each of Melanie's wrists, put one across her forehead, and put one around the base of her neck.

"What'll they do?" Roger asked, looking from Melanie to Collins.

"Hopefully, bring down the fever enough to let the medication work," Collins replied. "I think the fever's too high for it to really have any effect."

Melanie moaned and shifted away from the washcloths. Collins couldn't tell the difference between water and sweat.

As she continued to move away from the washcloths, Collins grasped her hand and said, "Baby girl, now don't be difficult. This is gonna help get you better, so you'd better stop that right now."

He was being firm, but gentle. Melanie didn't open her eyes, but she stopped protesting.

* * *

Half an hour later, Maureen burst through the door, Mrs. Schwartz right behind her.

"Collins, how is she?" Mrs. Schwartz asked him.

"We've been trying to bring the fever down," Collins said, skillfully dodging the question for now, "but not much has helped yet."

Mrs. Schwartz took the washcloths and placed them back on Melanie's forehead, neck, and wrists.

"Did you call a doctor?" Mrs. Schwartz asked Collins, looking up at him.

"No, the power's dead," Collins said.

Mrs. Schwartz sighed. "They might not be able to get here through the storm, as it is," she said.

Collins nodded solemnly.

"Then there's nothing we can do but wait it out," Mrs. Schwartz said.

"Damn," Collins said.

"All we can hope for is that Brian's watching over her and begging God not to take her from us yet," Maureen said softly, looking at Collins, Roger, and Mrs. Schwartz.

Mrs. Schwartz nodded and started to cry. Then she hugged her daughter gently for all she was worth.

* * *

For three days, Melanie's fever raged on. She lingered, drifting in and out of consciousness. Many times, she cried out for Collins and Roger; even Brian, as if he were still alive. They would all hope she had come back to them, only to realize it was all in delusion.

"_Melanie," said a voice. "Melanie, wake up."_

_Melanie opened her eyes and realized she was floating. It took her a second to realize what she was floating on: clouds._

"_Where am I?" she asked. She looked around and saw someone familiar standing in front of her. "Brian?"_

"_Hi, sis," he said, looking down at her. She walked quickly toward him, but he slowed her down. "Hang on. Don't move so fast for a while, Mel. You'll be light-headed for a while until you get used to this."_

"_This? Is this…?"_

"_Heaven, yeah; well… not exactly, but it's pretty close," Brian said. "It's more like a… halfway point."_

"_You mean, like a purgatory? W-what am I doing here?" Melanie asked nervously. "Did I…?"_

"_No, you're not dead," Brian said, shaking his head. "But you're pretty close. Mel, we need to talk. Now, before it's too late."_

"_Before it's too late? What are you talking about? What do you mean?" Melanie asked feverishly._

"_I mean you _are_ dying, Mel. You did exactly what Collins warned you not to do. You went out in the rain, into the streets of New York City, in the dark… a young, pretty girl like you. You got hurt and now you're sick and dying," Brian said._

"_I don't remember," Melanie said, shaking her head. Her head spun again and Brian steadied her as she staggered._

"_Trust me, that's not a bad thing," Brian said. "Look, you and I need to talk. After I died, I know you gave up on who you are. You forgot who you are and you've forgotten me, too. I know you may have thought it was annoying, how much I protected you, but don't you see what good it would have done, if I could have done it longer? Look at what you got yourself into after I died. I never would have thought you'd do that. I was only looking out for you. I know you said you 'didn't need a babysitter', but it did help. Don't hold it against me."_

"_I didn't mean to, Brian," Melanie cried, putting her face in her hands._

"_I know you didn't, Melanie, but those things happen," Brian said. "Look, even if you need to take a break from things once you get better, you can't give up. I won't let you. You know you're happy with Roger, even if there have been times when you've been frustrated and hurt and torn apart. But you should go back to him. He makes you happy. I've seen that proven. I won't let you give up and I most certainly won't let you die. You're too young."_

"_You did!" Melanie said, looking at him through watery eyes._

"_I didn't have a choice," Brian said. "You remember."_

_Melanie closed her eyes and nodded. She did. She would never forget._

"_But you haven't been in a car crash, Mel. You're just sick. You need to go back to Roger and Collins and Mom and everyone, so they can take care of you and you can get better and start over. Do that for me," Brian said. "I know everything in your life is testing you right now. That you feel overwhelmed and like you're going to go insane. But you can't let it get to you. You can't let it beat you. You have to get better, because you don't want to have to answer to me, do you?"_

_Melanie smiled weakly. "No, I don't," she said. "But Brian, I miss you so much. It's been so hard without you, especially Christmas. I don't know how Collins does it. He didn't even know you as well as I did…"_

"_I know, but that's life, Melanie," Brian said. "You miss us, but you have to move on." He put a hand to her cheek, and she was surprised it didn't go through her; instead, it was solid, warm, and glowing._

"_You'll see me again, just not soon. Go back to Roger and the others. Get better and move on, no matter how long the latter takes." He looked at her with his soft, gentle brown eyes. "Do it for me."_

_Melanie smiled and swallowed a sob. "OK… OK. I'll do it for you. But what should I tell the others?" Melanie asked. "Isn't this only in my mind?"_

"_What's to tell? And who says it's only in your mind?" Brian asked her, looking down at her._

_Then, before Melanie could respond, he faded away and Melanie felt herself start to drift._

* * *

As always, don't forget to review. I love feedback.

I hope you guys liked this chapter. I got a brainwave today, after work got cancelled (it rained and I'm on grounds crew, which is outside basically all day, doing all sorts of outside things— mowing lawns, weed whacking, etc.) and I just couldn't stop writing. This, combined with chapter 11, the epilogue (which is how it first was) was over 20 pages. I knew I had to split it up into two chapters or so. This chapter alone is 15 and-a-half pages long and I tried to shorten it, but that just wasn't possible.

The next chapter will definitely be the epilogue. It's already finished and just needs to be finalized. I know the whole "halfway point conversation" in this chapter might have been a little awkward, but I figured Melanie was sick and dying (and also delirious), so she needed a little nudge from her brother to recover and move on with life, don't you? I thought she was sulking too much and that was holding her back from any potential she might have had (which, of course, as the author, was my fault entirely, I know, hehe.) I think it works well in the chapter, though. I hope you guys are OK with it, too. It's what came to mind and I'm going to work with it. Depending on what rosablasifann08 has come up with (I had given her the honors of writing the "halfway point conversation", but once I got a brainwave, I couldn't help myself, so I wrote something, too, LOL), the conversation may change some. We'll see. If it does change before chapter 11 is posted, I will let you guys know in an author note before the chapter.

Today is the three-month anniversary of writing this story! I'm glad I'm getting it done, so I can start on the sequel as soon as possible. I do want to write a sequel. I do have plans on writing a sequel. Hold me to that, because I just might change my mind (and I would be willing to bet you guys wouldn't want that.) I just need to get something down on paper first. I have a main idea; I just need to get it going. I'll do my best to write it as quickly as possible, with as much help from my beta, rosablasifann08, as she can give me (we're both working full-time jobs, I believe) and I'll post something up ASAP.

Thanks for being patient with me while I wrote this story. Your patience and all your feedback is much appreciated. It really paid off. I won't be leaving FanFiction anytime soon; it's become part of my life, even if I take breaks sometimes. I don't know what I'd do without it. :)

As usual, the author's note is a good fraction of the entire chapter, LOL. What would you guys do without me? :)

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	11. Light in Your Eyes

I just wanted to mention something quickly before you guys start reading this last chapter of Light in Your Eyes. Remember that Melanie was sick for about four days. Only at the very end did she have the "conversation" with her brother, Brian, and "come back to life". I think I explain the transition well enough, but I don't want anyone to get confused. Enjoy this last chapter. It's also intense, but not in the same way as chapter 10.

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Finally, on the fourth day, June third, Melanie came to. She opened her eyes and whispered, "Brian…"

Everyone looked up suddenly and saw Melanie was conscious.

"Melanie," Mrs. Schwartz breathed with relief. She leaned down and hugged Melanie gratefully.

"Mom…" Melanie murmured. "W-what happened?"

"Well, Melanie, I, um…" Mrs. Schwartz began, but she stopped when she saw the looks Collins and Roger were giving her. She looked at Melanie, who had tears and a look of fear in her eyes. "Melanie, honey, you just rest, OK, sweetie? We'll tell you when you're better."

"Well, OK," Melanie said, and she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Maureen put a gentle hand to Melanie's forehead and looked at Collins, Roger, and Mrs. Schwartz. "Her fever's breaking," she said, smiling at them. The others sighed with relief.

"Let's let her sleep for a while," Collins said quietly. The others nodded in agreement.

Collins picked Melanie up and carried her to the other room. He gently set her in the bed and paused for a moment, in case she awoke. But she slept on peacefully, on her way to recovery.

Collins went back out to the living room and sat on a chair in front of Roger.

"Is she all right?" Roger asked him.

Collins nodded. "Yeah, she's sleeping now," he replied.

"Oh, thank God," Roger said, running his fingers through his short, bleached blonde hair.

"Did she tell you anything, Collins?" Mrs. Schwartz asked. "I mean, she must have. I feel like I'm missing something."

"She told me quite a bit, actually," Collins said. "She said it was a reckless, though not necessarily foolish, decision to marry you, Roger. And while she was sorry to do it this way, she couldn't think of any other way to do it, and it was killing her. She said she… wanted to go quietly." Collins looked at Roger. "You understand, don't you?"

After a moment, Roger nodded stiffly. "I suppose," he said, "but she could have said no."

Collins rolled his eyes. "Roger, you know how you would have reacted if she had said no," he said.

Roger nodded again. "I know," he said. He put his head in his hands wearily, and for a moment, he looked much older than he actually was.

"Regardless of what she told me, though," Collins said, looking at Roger, "you two _need _to talk about this. It may not seem like it to you, but you two have got a serious problem going on and no one's going to fix it for you."

"I noticed," Roger said.

"So you _are _going to talk to her once she gets better, and no matter what, you are _not _going to lose your temper, got it?" Collins demanded.

Roger looked up at Collins, angry for a moment. Then he nodded stiffly again. "Yeah, I got it," he said.

"Good," Collins said. He looked at Mrs. Schwartz, who nodded in approval.

Collins leaned back in his chair and tried to relax. Things seemed to be on their way to getting fixed and back to normal. But he couldn't be sure how long that truly would take.

* * *

The next morning, Melanie came out to the kitchen in a bathrobe she'd found in the bedroom closet. She saw Roger was sitting at the table with his head on his hands. He'd obviously fallen asleep there.

Melanie hesitated for a moment before going over to him and gently stroking his hair. He jolted awake.

"Oh, my God, Melanie," he said breathlessly. He stood up and immediately took her into his arms. "You're up."

"Yes, I am," Melanie said, looking up at him and he released her. "Would you like to go for a walk or something, so we can talk?"

"I, um… sure, I guess so," Roger said nervously. "Are you OK, though? You were sick for so long…"

"I know. And yes, I'm fine," Melanie said. "I just wish I remembered what happened."

"No, you don't," Roger said firmly.

"I don't?" Melanie asked.

"No," Roger said suddenly, his tone dark. "I mean, if you reallywant me to tell you, I will, but I'd rather not."

Melanie nodded. "I see," she said.

"It's up to you," Roger said, shrugging and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"OK," Melanie said. "Well, if it's OK with you, I'm going to freshen up. I've been in these clothes for almost a week."

"Your mom brought you clothes," Roger said. "They're by your bed."

"OK," Melanie said, smiling to herself before going back to her bedroom. She grabbed her clothes, quickly showered, and met back up with Roger in the living room.

"Ready?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Ready," Melanie said, looking up at him.

"Do you… want to go to Tompkins Square Park?" Roger asked. "It would be a quiet place to talk."

"Sure," Melanie said.

"And it's not far away," Roger rambled.

"OK," Melanie said, smiling at him.

* * *

They walked slowly to the park. Roger took his time walking and stayed right next to Melanie. The longer it took them to get to the park, the more time he could spend alone with Melanie and the more he could pretend they would be getting married within the week.

They arrived at the park and Melanie walked past Roger without saying a word, and sat down on a park bench. Roger was feeling slightly sick at the idea of her leaving, however, so he stayed standing.

"So… you're leaving?" Roger asked suddenly, looking at her. He couldn't hold in his question any longer.

Melanie nodded. "Yes," she said. "I… I need to clear my head and think and try to get my life together again."

"But what about us?" Roger asked.

Melanie stood up, went over to him, and put her hand on his cheek. "I'll always love you," se said, "but you have to admit, we've been backwards from the beginning; first with Brianna, then getting married?"

"We never did, Mel," Roger said, suddenly angry. He wrenched away from her gentle touch.

"I know, but you see what I mean?" Melanie said, looking at him as he walked away from her.

"Yes, Melanie, I do," Roger said, "but I can't accept it."

"Why can't you, not even out of respect for me?" Melanie asked him.

"Oh, you call this earning my respect, running off like you did, with no word?"

"There was word. None of you found it is all. I call Scarsdale my home now and you want to leave it as soon as possible. You never even took me into consideration, but you expect me to cooperate and stay with you?"

"_You _were the one who did this without me," Roger snapped, "when you know I would have gone with you! I stay here only for you. I belong in the city, not here."

"So am I keeping you from the city? Roger, I have tried everything to stay with you, but nothing has worked. We got into all of this way too fast, way too young. It isn't going to work. I can't keep pretending it will and then having it not work and we both get hurt over and over. It is too hard. I'm losing myself; I almost literally did! I am only eighteen. I can't deal with this. I've tried, but I can't. I just can't," Melanie said.

"We've got people who will help us, Mel," Roger said. "We're not alone. It can work out. We can try really hard and then all our hard work will be worth it, like anything else."

Melanie shook her head. "I don't want to have to try so hard," she said. "We're only in this for the idea of it; and don't you dare deny it, Roger Jay Davis. You know it's true."

"I can't believe you're accusing me of such a thing," Roger yelled.

"We've never really considered what it will be like if we have to spend the next fifty years minimum together, which is what marriage is," Melanie said.

"I just can't believe you're walking out of my life like this, just like that," Roger said angrily, snapping his fingers together. "We never even talked about any of these… insecurities before."

"I'm talking now," Melanie said coolly, looking up at him.

Roger whirled around and put his head in his hands. "I can't take this," he said. "I wanna love _you_. I wanna marry _you_. I wanna make love to _you_, Melanie!"

Melanie nodded, but said nothing. She wasn't agreeing, she was just going along with this.

"Can I ask you something?" Roger asked abruptly, looking back at her.

Melanie nodded. "What?"

"If you hadn't gotten sick and—" Roger began, but he found he was uncomfortable continuing.

"— raped," Melanie said.

"— would you have left without talking to me, with everything so incomplete and unfinished?"

Melanie nodded. "Yes," she said. "It was my plan to leave a letter."

Roger gaped. "I don't believe this," he said. He looked at her angrily. "Show me."

Melanie realized in that moment how easily Roger read her sometimes. She pulled an envelope out of her pocket and gave it to him.

Roger opened it. Inside was the letter. His eyes widened more as he read further.

"Wow," he said, and he threw the letter at her in disgust. "You've got a lot of nerve doing this after I saved your fucking life."

Melanie frowned and shook her head. "You didn't," she said, "Collins did."

"I helped!" Roger yelled.

"Well, yes… a little…" Melanie said coolly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. My head is bothering me and I don't feel well."

"Fine, then I'm taking you home," Roger said.

"No, Roger, I'm fine," Melanie insisted.

"Damn it, Melanie, I'm taking you home whether you like it or not. Last time you were out on your own, you got raped and nearly killed. I'm not letting that happen again," Roger snarled.

Melanie stood up and walked away from him. "Fine," she said.

They arrived back at Collins' apartment, but he wasn't there. After scribbling out a quick note to Collins, Roger stormed past her and she followed him to the car. The entire way back to Scarsdale, they didn't speak. You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife.

Finally, just as they were arriving at Melanie's house, Roger looked over at her and asked, "Are you going to go to the police about…?"

"No, I'm not," Melanie said abruptly.

"What?" Roger asked, aghast. "Why the hell not?"

"I just don't want to," Melanie said.

"How can you not want to?" Roger asked. "He could have killed you."

"Maybe, but he didn't," Melanie said. "It'll turn into too big of a mess. I'm already too deep as it is."

"I still think you should at least go in and identify the guy. We can press charges and put him behind bars," Roger said.

"Oh, so now you're suddenly caring? Since I guess you care now, I should tell you, there was nothing to identify the guy with. He wore all black and a facemask. Before it all happened, I only ever saw his eyes and his hands," Melanie snapped. Before Roger could retort, she got out of the car and ran up the front walk. She opened the front door and went inside.

Roger sighed and put his head on the steering wheel. Even though Collins said Melanie seemed off, entirely different than normal, he was so frustrated with her. He was trying so hard to love her, and she kept pulling stunts like this. He knew he couldn't keep giving her his heart and having it thrown back at him, or he would go insane.

He sighed and guided the car out of her driveway. He was going to stay with Collins for a while. He knew the philosopher would be able to talk some sense into him. He needed Collins badly right now.

Roger drove back to his house, walked inside, and walked past his mother.

"Roger, honey, what happened? Did you take Melanie home?" Mrs. Davis asked.

"Yes, Mom, I did. I'd rather not talk about it, OK? I'm going to Collins' place for a while. I need to think and rest. I don't know how long I'll be gone," Roger called over his shoulder, not looking at her.

"Well, OK, just call me when you get there," Mrs. Davis said.

Roger went upstairs and packed some things into a suitcase. At least for a while, he was going to leave Scarsdale, if it was what he needed to clear his head and think and heal. He was doing now what Melanie had done to him.

Words were going through his head. The idea for a song he could write. He could already hear the melody and the opening guitar chords. It was gentle and soothing. He needed to vent his feelings somehow, and he'd found out long ago that writing songs was his way of doing that, even if he hadn't had any true inspiration worth anything.

Roger walked over to his desk, sat down in the chair, picked up a pen and began to write. It surprised him how easily the words flowed onto the paper. The feeling was so strong that his emotions easily translated into words.

_I can't remember the last time that we kissed goodbye  
All our I love you's were just not enough to survive  
Something your eyes never told me  
But it's only now too plain to see  
A brilliant disguise when you hold me  
And I'm free_

_I've been thinking and here's what I've come to conclude  
Sometimes the distance is more than two people can use  
But how could I have known, girl  
It was time in that space you would need?  
Darling, tonight, I could hold you and you would know  
But would you believe? _

_There's a light in your eyes I used to see  
There's a place in your heart where I used to be  
Was I wrong to assume that you were waiting for me?  
There's a light in your eyes  
Did you leave that light burning for me?_

_Cards and phone calls and photograph pictures of you  
Constant reminders of all the things you get used to  
Is there a chance in hell or heaven  
That there's still something here to belong?  
Or do you just pick up the pieces after they fall?  
But after all _

_There's a light in your eyes I used to see  
And a song in the words that you spoke to me  
Was I wrong to believe in your melody?  
There's a light in your eyes  
Did you leave that light burning for me?  
Should I keep on waiting?  
Or does love keep on fading away?  
Fading away_

Roger put down the pen and took a deep breath. He looked around at his room and all that was familiar to him, that of which he was about to leave for as long as possible. So many things in his room, in his house, in this town reminded him of Melanie. He knew he had to get away from it, at least for a little while. If things worked out a certain way, though, he would never return to Scarsdale.

* * *

This is the end of Light in Your Eyes. I want to thank rosablasifann08, my beta and buddy, for writing part of this last chapter for me. Without you, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish it, since you got me past that one awkward part (you know where I mean.) I was finally able to correlate the song into the story. The entire song is not there for a reason: because I want to use the last part of the lyrics for the sequel. You'll see what I mean once the sequel's work begins. I knew from the beginning how I wanted to correlate the song to the story; it just took FOREVER to figure out exactly how. I think it worked out rather well. Go to their Myspace if you want to hear how the song sounds. I love it. :) I know, I know, I'm not very nice to my female OC's and I'm not very nice to Roger much, either. But this is the way the story worked out, as I actually had planned once for it to do.

I do want to write a sequel to it, since I left it off at a very open-ended spot. I will start writing the sequel as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for it. I don't know how long it will be until I post up the new sequel, especially within the next couple of weeks, when my summer job starts getting really busy and I won't have much time to write again. These two chapters alone being written and finished were rather surprising to me. I'll do my best, though; I'm not going to purposely leave you guys hanging for long.

Thanks for being patient with me as I struggled to update this story at times. I think it all turned out rather well, don't you? As always, don't forget to review. I love feedback and haven't heard from some of you guys in a long time. Oh, and also, with my new job, I work Monday through Friday, 8-5, and have weekends off to be free and write and do whatever I want! Woo hoo! :)

Quick note to rosablasifann08: I know I gave you the honors of writing the "conversation" between Brian and Melanie, but I got a brainwave and just couldn't stop. I don't know how much of it you've written so far, but still, I apologize. Thank you for volunteering, anyway. I do want to see your version of it and I may still use your version. You rock my socks off, chica. This story is dedicated to you. :)

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


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